Automated drug dispensing systems in the intensive care unit: a financial analysis.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the economic impact of automated-drug dispensing systems (ADS) in surgical intensive care units (ICUs). A financial analysis was conducted in three adult ICUs of one university hospital, where ADS were implemented, one in each unit, to replace the traditional floor stock system. METHOD: Costs were estimated before and after implementation of the ADS on the basis of floor stock inventories, expired drugs, and time spent by nurses and pharmacy technicians on medication-related work activities. A financial analysis was conducted that included operating cash flows, investment cash flows, global cash flow and net present value. RESULTS: After ADS implementation, nurses spent less time on medication-related activities with an average of 14.7 hours saved per day/33 beds. Pharmacy technicians spent more time on floor-stock activities with an average of 3.5 additional hours per day across the three ICUs. The cost of drug storage was reduced by €44,298 and the cost of expired drugs was reduced by €14,772 per year across the three ICUs. Five years after the initial investment, the global cash flow was €148,229 and the net present value of the project was positive by €510,404. CONCLUSION: The financial modeling of the ADS implementation in three ICUs showed a high return on investment for the hospital. Medication-related costs and nursing time dedicated to medications are reduced with ADS.

Practical checklist for implementation of antifungal stewardship programmes.

Introduction. Antifungal stewardship programmes are needed in healthcare facilities to limit the overuse or misuse of antifungals, which are responsible for an increase in antifungal resistance.Hypothesis/Gap Statement. Core recommendations for antifungal stewardship were published by the Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided a Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs checklist. The recommendations offer global core elements for best practices in antifungal stewardship, but do not provide a framework for the implementation of antifungal stewardship programmes in healthcare facilities.Aim. In line with the recommendations, it is of the utmost importance to establish a practical checklist that may be used to implement antifungal stewardship programmes.Methodology. The practical checklist was established by a national consensus panel of experts involved in antifungal stewardship activities. A preliminary checklist was sent to all experts. The final document was approved by the panel after discussion and the resolution of any disagreements by consensus.Results. The final checklist includes the following items: leadership support; actions to support optimal antifungal use; actions to monitor antifungal prescribing, use and resistance; and an education programme.Conclusion. This antifungal stewardship checklist offers opportunities for antifungal resistance containment, given that antifungal stewardship activities promote the optimal use of antifungals.

Antifungal use influences Candida species distribution and susceptibility in the intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVES: Antifungal prescription practices have changed over the last decade, and the impact of these changes is unclear. Our objective here was to evaluate the effect of antifungal drug use on the distribution and drug susceptibility of Candida spp. in a French intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: Antifungal drug use was measured as the number of defined daily doses per 1000 hospital days (DDDs/1000HD). The distribution of Candida spp. over a 6 year period (2004-09) and the MICs of antifungal drugs over 2007-09 were determined. Statistical analyses were performed to assess relationships between antifungal drug use, Candida spp. distribution and MIC changes over time. RESULTS: Of 26,450 samples from 3391 patients, 1511 were positive for Candida spp. Candida albicans predominated (52.5%), followed by Candida glabrata (16.6%) and Candida parapsilosis (7.5%). C. parapsilosis increased significantly, from 5.7% in 2004 to 12.5% in 2009 (P = 0.0005). Caspofungin use increased significantly between 2004 (17.9 DDDs/1000HD) and 2009 (69.9 DDDs/1000HD) (P < 0.0001). Between 2007 and 2009, the increase in caspofungin use correlated significantly with the increase in caspofungin MICs displayed by C. parapsilosis (P < 0.0001) and C. glabrata (P = 0.03). Amphotericin B consumption changed over time and correlated with an increase in amphotericin B MICs for C. albicans (P = 0.0002) and C. glabrata (P = 0.0005). Significant declines occurred in both fluconazole use (P < 0.0001) and fluconazole MICs of C. albicans (P < 0.001) CONCLUSIONS: Antifungal drug use in the ICU is associated with major changes in the distribution and drug susceptibility of Candida spp.

Automated drug dispensing system reduces medication errors in an intensive care setting.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the impact of an automated dispensing system on the incidence of medication errors related to picking, preparation, and administration of drugs in a medical intensive care unit. We also evaluated the clinical significance of such errors and user satisfaction. DESIGN: Preintervention and postintervention study involving a control and an intervention medical intensive care unit. SETTING: Two medical intensive care units in the same department of a 2,000-bed university hospital. PATIENTS: Adult medical intensive care patients. INTERVENTIONS: After a 2-month observation period, we implemented an automated dispensing system in one of the units (study unit) chosen randomly, with the other unit being the control. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The overall error rate was expressed as a percentage of total opportunities for error. The severity of errors was classified according to National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention categories by an expert committee. User satisfaction was assessed through self-administered questionnaires completed by nurses. A total of 1,476 medications for 115 patients were observed. After automated dispensing system implementation, we observed a reduced percentage of total opportunities for error in the study compared to the control unit (13.5% and 18.6%, respectively; p<.05); however, no significant difference was observed before automated dispensing system implementation (20.4% and 19.3%, respectively; not significant). Before-and-after comparisons in the study unit also showed a significantly reduced percentage of total opportunities for error (20.4% and 13.5%; p<.01). An analysis of detailed opportunities for error showed a significant impact of the automated dispensing system in reducing preparation errors (p<.05). Most errors caused no harm (National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention category C). The automated dispensing system did not reduce errors causing harm. Finally, the mean for working conditions improved from 1.0±0.8 to 2.5±0.8 on the four-point Likert scale. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of an automated dispensing system reduced overall medication errors related to picking, preparation, and administration of drugs in the intensive care unit. Furthermore, most nurses favored the new drug dispensation organization.

Evaluation of glycopeptide prescription and therapeutic drug monitoring at a university hospital.

The aim of this study was to assess the appropriateness of glycopeptide prescription almost 15 y after the publication of the Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) guidelines. We also assessed the adequacy of dose regimen and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). All glycopeptide prescriptions were collected during a 3-month prospective study and evaluated by 2 independent infectious diseases experts. Appropriateness of prescription was assessed according to local guidelines based on the HICPAC recommendations. A total of 154 prescriptions were evaluated: 77% (69.1-83.0) were appropriate and 36% (28.2-43.8) were adequate with regard to dose regimen and loading dose. Multivariate analysis showed greater appropriateness for vancomycin than for teicoplanin (p=0.01). There was a wide discrepancy among units (p=0.04). TDM was appropriately performed in 40% (32.3-47.7) of glycopeptide treatments. When required, dose regimen adaptations occurred in 58% of cases. In conclusion, we show a satisfactory appropriateness of glycopeptide prescription. However, the adequacy of dose regimens must be improved. Finally, TDM does not comply with recent recommendations in most cases.

Impact of antifungal prescription on relative distribution and susceptibility of Candida spp. - Trends over 10 years.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of Candida spp. infections is worrisome, particularly in critically ill patients. Previous reports suggested that increasing use of antifungal therapy might affect resistance profiles of invasive strains. The study objective was to describe the distribution resistance profile of Candida spp. strains, and to correlate it with antifungal consumptions within one ICU. METHOD: Antifungal drug consumption was measured as the number of defined daily doses per 1000 hospital days. The distribution of Candida spp. over a 10 year period 2004-2013 and the MICs of antifungal drugs over 2007-2013 were determined. Time series analyses were performed. RESULTS: Of 2403 identified Candida spp. from 5360 patients, Candida albicans predominated (53.1%), followed by Candida glabrata (16.2%), Candida parapsilosis (7.9%) and Candida tropicalis (7.5%). C. parapsilosis increased from 5.7% in 2004 to 8.4% in 2013 (P = 0.02). The increase in caspofungin use is correlated with the increase in caspofungin MICs of C. parapsilosis (P = 0.01), C. glabrata (P = 0.001) and C. albicans (P = 0.02). Polyenes consumption correlated with an increase in amphotericin B MICs of C. glabrata (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Previous history of antifungal prescription within an ICU influences Candida species distribution and susceptibility profile to antifungal agents. The significant selective pressure exerted by caspofungin and amphotericin B on C. glabrata is a concern.

[Adequacy of antifungal agents in a teaching hospital: too many inappropriate prescriptions despite training]. / Évaluation de la prescription des antifongiques dans un centre hospitalier universitaire : encore trop de prescriptions inadaptées malgré des actions de formation.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess adequacy and conformity of systemic antifungal drugs prescriptions in comparison with local, French, European and international recent guidelines in the Grenoble Teaching Hospital. METHODS: Each prescription of itraconazole, liposomal amphotericin B, voriconazole, caspofungin, micafungin, posaconazole and anidulafungin made between February and October 2010 were reviewed by an infectious diseases specialist. Fluconazole prescriptions' were reviewed only for 15 days. RESULTS: Two hundred and eight patients received 295 systemic antifungal prescriptions. Most of them had at least one risk factor and immunodeficiency was one of the most common. Antifungal treatment starting, molecules choice, administrations conformity (dosage, administration way) were appropriate in 126 cases on 208 (60.5 %) at the treatment beginning evaluation and in 171 cases on 295 (58 %) at the treatment ending evaluation. Antifungal combinations (9.4 %) were less frequent than in the study carried out in Grenoble teaching hospital in 2007 (16.3 %). Most common non-conformities encountered were use of caspofungin instead of fluconazole, antifungal combinations prescription, administration modalities misguiding. The economy that could have been generated by appropriate prescriptions represented 18 % of the antifungal budget of 2010 in the Grenoble Teaching Hospital. CONCLUSION: An improvement was highlighted in the antifungal prescriptions in comparison to the previous study led in 2007 in the Universitary Grenoble Hospital. However, the antifungal use was not optimal and further training is planned.

Computerized physician order entry system combined with on-ward pharmacist: analysis of pharmacists' interventions.

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To analyse pharmacists' interventions in a setting where a computerized physician order entry system (CPOE) is in use and a pharmacist works on the ward. METHOD: A prospective cohort study was conducted in seven wards of a French teaching hospital using CPOE along with the presence of a full-time on-ward pharmacy resident. We documented the characteristics of pharmacists' interventions communicated to physicians during the medication order validation process whenever a drug-related problem was identified. Independent predictors of the physician's acceptance of the pharmacist's intervention were assessed using multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The 448 pharmacists' interventions concerned: non-conformity to guidelines or contraindications (22%), too high doses (19%), drug interactions (15%) and improper administration (15%). The interventions consisted of changes in drug choice (41%), dose adjustment (23%), drug monitoring (19%) and optimization of administration (17%). Interventions were communicated via the CPOE in 57% of cases and 43% orally. The rate of physicians' acceptance was 79.2%. In multivariate analysis, acceptance was significantly associated with the physician's status [higher for residents vs. seniors: OR = 7.23, CI 95 (2.37-22.10), P < 0.01], method of communication [higher for oral vs. computer communication: OR = 12.5, CI 95 (4.16-37.57), P < 0.01] and type of recommendation [higher for drug monitoring vs. drug choice recommendations: OR = 10.32, CI 95 (3.20-33.29), P < 0.01]. CONCLUSIONS: When a clinical pharmacist is present on a ward in which a CPOE is in use, the pharmacists' interventions are well accepted by physicians. Specific predictors of the acceptance by physicians emerge, but further research as to the impact of CPOE on pharmacist-physician communication is needed.

Physicians' perception of CPOE implementation.

OBJECTIVE: To identify perceptions held by physicians of the benefits of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and factors influencing its successful implementation in the context of the increased presence of a clinical pharmacist on ward. SETTING: A 2000-bed University Hospital. METHOD: A cross-section opinion survey was conducted of all permanent physicians of the hospital to determine their perception on the benefits, or otherwise, of CPOE. Questionnaires, built upon the analysis of 10 preliminary semi-structured interviews with physicians, were sent to physicians by electronic and paper mail. It comprised three sections with a 4 level Likert scale: general perception of CPOE benefits (items 1.1-1.8); opinion on the introduction of the CPOE system in the hospital (item 2); opinion on the presence of a pharmacist on ward (item 3). A fourth section recorded the respondent's profile. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Level of agreement on the items describing the general perception of CPOE benefits; opinion on the introduction of a CPOE system in the hospital; and opinion on the pharmacist's presence on ward. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was conducted on sections one and two. Analysis of this PCA representation in terms of the respondents' profile was performed. RESULTS: One hundred and one physicians (18%) participated in the survey. Most (83%) physicians favoured the implementation of a CPOE (item 2). Among the advantages of CPOE, the greatest agreement concerned items related to safety and regulatory issues (from 80 to 76% agreement). Other items related to management issues were perceived as less tangible benefits (from 50 to 67% agreement). The increased presence of a pharmacist on the ward was supported by 94% of physicians. The PCA representation using profile items produced a 2-factor solution, accounting for 68% of the variance, with former experience of collaboration with a pharmacist (P = 0.002) and senior physician status (P = 0.013) positively influencing the perception of the CPOE. CONCLUSION: Endorsement by senior physicians and the presence of a clinical pharmacist on ward promote a positive attitude towards CPOE and facilitate its implementation.

Does an educational session with an infectious diseases physician reduce the use of inappropriate antibiotic therapy for inpatients with positive urine culture results? A controlled before-and-after study.

In this controlled before-and-after study involving 19 departments in a university-affiliated hospital, a single 1-hour educational session delivered by an infectious diseases physician reduced the use of inappropriate antibiotic therapy for inpatients with positive urine culture results. Further study is warranted to assess the long-term effect of this intervention.