Trends in Pediatric Attention-Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Diagnoses and Prescription Utilization: 2016 to 2019.

OBJECTIVE: Attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders among children, with estimated prevalence of 7% to 15% worldwide. The aim of this analysis was to update and summarize trends in diagnosis, demographics, and drug utilization of pediatric patients with ADHD. METHODS: We used the Agency for Health care Research and Quality Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a survey of US individuals, families, their medical providers, and employers, using datasets from 2016 to 2019. The data sources from the MEPS database included the full-year consolidated files, medical conditions files, prescribed-medicines files, and condition-event link files for each year. We summarized trends in the proportion of children, ages 17 years and younger, with a diagnosis of ADHD, demographic information and a prescription for medication known to treat ADHD. In addition, we further stratified ADHD medication use by stimulant/nonstimulant categories. RESULTS: There was a 1.6% and 4.7% absolute increase in children with an ADHD diagnosis and those prescribed ADHD medications, respectively, from 2016 to 2019. Most of these children were male, non-Hispanic, and on public insurance. Of the children prescribed an ADHD medication and concomitant behavioral medications, stimulants-only use was the highest (60%-67%), followed by stimulants/nonstimulants (13%-15%), stimulant/antidepressants (6%-9%), and nonstimulants only (5%-9%). The proportion of patients with ADHD in the high-income and near-poor categories increased by 4% from 2016 to 2019. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of ADHD among children is trending upward in the United States. Central nervous system stimulants, especially methylphenidate formulations, are the most prescribed ADHD medications for children 17 years and younger.

Consumption of antibiotics in Brazil - an analysis of sales data between 2014 and 2019.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic consumption is a driver for the increase of antimicrobial resistance. The objective of this study is to analyze variations in antibiotic consumption and its appropriate use in Brazil from 2014 to 2019. METHODS: We conducted a time series study using the surveillance information system database (SNGPC) from the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency. Antimicrobials sold in retail pharmacies were evaluated. All antimicrobials recorded for systemic use identified by the active ingredient were eligible. Compounded products and formulations for topic use (dermatological, gynecological, and eye/ear treatments) were excluded. The number of defined daily doses (DDDs)/1,000 inhabitants/day for each antibiotic was attributed. The number of DDDs per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DDIs) was used as a proxy for consumption. Results were stratified by regions and the average annual percentage change in the whole period studied was estimated. We used the WHO Access, Watch, and Reserve (AWaRe) framework to categorize antimicrobial drugs. RESULTS: An overall increase of 30% in consumption from 2014 to 2019 was observed in all Brazilian regions. Amoxicillin, azithromycin and cephalexin were the antimicrobials more consumed, with the Southeast region responsible for more than 50% of the antibiotic utilization. Among all antimicrobials analyzed 45.0% were classified as watch group in all Brazilian regions. CONCLUSION: We observed a significant increase in antibiotics consumption from 2014 to 2019 in Brazil restricted to the Northeast and Central West regions. Almost half of the antibiotics consumed in Brazil were classified as watch group, highlighting the importance to promote rational use in this country.

Use of medications by pregnant women in the Family Health Strategy in the Northeast of Brazil / Uso de medicamentos por gestantes da estratégia saúde da família no Nordeste do Brasil

Abstract Objectives: To evaluate the medication use, exposure to potential risks, and associated factors before and during pregnancy of pregnant women receiving care at the Family Health Strategy in a municipality in the Northeast of Brazil. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of pregnant women receiving care in the municipality of Barreiras, in Bahia, Brazil. In data analysis process, prevalence and frequency of medication use were estimated. To investigate the association between variables, the outcome measure was expressed by the prevalence ratio (crude and adjusted) with a 95% confidence interval via Poisson regression. Results: The prevalence of medication use before pregnancy was 35% and during pregnancy, it was 80.7%. Analgesics and antianemics were the prevalent groups of medications before and during pregnancy, respectively. Family income (≤1 minimum wage; PR=1.62; CI95%=1.02-2.55) showed an association with prior use; health problems (PR=2.3; CI95%=1.27-4.22) and complaints in pregnancy (PR=2.39; CI95%=1.28-4.47) had an association with use during pregnancy. Conclusion: The characterization of a high prevalence of use of medicines by pregnant women, combined with a trend of failures in family planning could demonstrate the exposure of the risks of using some harmful substances in periods close to conception and pregnancy.

Resumo Objetivos: avaliar o uso de medicamentos, exposição a potenciais riscos e os fatores associados antes e durante a gestação pelas gestantes atendidas na Estratégia Saúde da Família em município do nordeste brasileiro. Métodos: trata-se de um estudo transversal realizado com gestantes atendidas no município de Barreiras, Bahia, Brasil. No processo de análise dos dados, foram estimadas as prevalências e frequências de utilização de medicamentos. Para investigar a associação entre variáveis, a medida do desfecho foi expressa pela razão de prevalência (bruta e ajustada) com intervalo de 95% de confiança pela regressão de Poisson. Resultados: a prevalência do uso de medicamentos antes da gestação foi 35% e durante de 80,7%. Os analgésicos e antianêmicos foram os grupos de medicamentos prevalentes antes e durante a gestação, respectivamente. A renda familiar (≤1 salário mínimo; RP=1,62; IC95%=1,02-2,55), mostrou associação ao uso anterior; problemas de saúde (RP=2,32; IC95%=1,27-4,22) e queixas na gestação (RP=2,39; IC95%=1,28-4,47) tiveram associação para o uso durante. Conclusões: a caracterização de uma alta prevalência do uso de medicamentos por gestantes, aliado a uma tendência de falhas no planejamento familiar pôde demonstrar a exposição dos riscos da utilização de algumas substâncias nocivas em períodos próximos da concepção e na gestação.

Drug utilization study in neonatal intensive care unit at tertiary care hospital.

OBJECTIVE: Neonates are more susceptible to drug interactions and adverse effects, and special care should be taken when prescribing medication to them. This study aimed to investigate drug usage in the neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital. METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted on 98 patients at the Apollo tertiary care hospital (Bannerghatta, Bangalore, India) in a period of 6 months. The most common indications for neonatal intensive care unit admission, average number of drugs per patient, the most frequently used medication, distribution of patients based on the birth procedure, and possible drug interactions were collected from patient profiles. RESULTS: Among the patients, 52% were males and 48% were females. Notably, 38% of patients were preterm, 60% were term, and only 2% were post-term. Also, 80.6% were born by cesarean section and 19.4% were born by normal vaginal delivery. The highest mean of drug use was in the patient of 1,000-1,500 g (8.06 per patient). Preterm was the most frequent indication for admission in neonatal intensive care unit, followed by hyperbilirubinemia and then respiratory distress syndrome. The most frequently used medication was vitamin K (99%) and antibiotics followed by dextrose. In different types of antibiotics, amikacin (41%), cefoperazone+sulbactam (35%), cephalosporin (1%), ceftriaxone (0.7%), and amoxicillin (0.3%) were commonly administered. There were some possible interactions, such as aminoglycoside with furosemide and calcium gluconate. CONCLUSION: Premature birth and resulting low birth weight were the main reasons for drug prescription. High administration of antibiotics is probably an area of concern and should be seriously considered.

Drug utilization study in neonatal intensive care unit at tertiary care hospital

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: Neonates are more susceptible to drug interactions and adverse effects, and special care should be taken when prescribing medication to them. This study aimed to investigate drug usage in the neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital. METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted on 98 patients at the Apollo tertiary care hospital (Bannerghatta, Bangalore, India) in a period of 6 months. The most common indications for neonatal intensive care unit admission, average number of drugs per patient, the most frequently used medication, distribution of patients based on the birth procedure, and possible drug interactions were collected from patient profiles. RESULTS: Among the patients, 52% were males and 48% were females. Notably, 38% of patients were preterm, 60% were term, and only 2% were post-term. Also, 80.6% were born by cesarean section and 19.4% were born by normal vaginal delivery. The highest mean of drug use was in the patient of 1,000-1,500 g (8.06 per patient). Preterm was the most frequent indication for admission in neonatal intensive care unit, followed by hyperbilirubinemia and then respiratory distress syndrome. The most frequently used medication was vitamin K (99%) and antibiotics followed by dextrose. In different types of antibiotics, amikacin (41%), cefoperazone+sulbactam (35%), cephalosporin (1%), ceftriaxone (0.7%), and amoxicillin (0.3%) were commonly administered. There were some possible interactions, such as aminoglycoside with furosemide and calcium gluconate. CONCLUSION: Premature birth and resulting low birth weight were the main reasons for drug prescription. High administration of antibiotics is probably an area of concern and should be seriously considered.

Medication Use in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Changes from 2010 to 2018.

OBJECTIVE: To provide up-to-date medication prescribing patterns in US neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and to examine trends in prescribing patterns over time. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a cohort study of 799 016 infants treated in NICUs managed by the Pediatrix Medical Group from 2010 to 2018. We used 3 different methods to report counts of medication: exposure, courses, and days of use. We defined the change in frequency of medication administration by absolute change and relative change. We examined the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) package insert for each medication to determine whether a medication was labeled for use in infants and used PubMed to search for pharmacokinetics (PK) studies. RESULTS: The most frequently prescribed medications included ampicillin, gentamicin, caffeine citrate, poractant alfa, morphine, vancomycin, furosemide, fentanyl, midazolam, and acetaminophen. Of the top 50 medications used in infants with extremely low birth weight, only 20 (40%) are FDA-labeled for use in infants; of the 30 that are not labeled for use in infants, 13 (43%) had at least 2 published PK studies. The medications with the greatest relative increase in use from 2010 to 2018 included dexmedetomidine, clonidine, rocuronium, levetiracetam, atropine, and diazoxide. The medications with the greatest relative decrease in use included tromethamine acetate, pancuronium, chloral hydrate, imipenem + cilastatin, and amikacin. CONCLUSION: Trends of medication use in the NICU change substantially over time. It is imperative to identify changes in medication use in the NICU to better inform further prospective studies.

Prevalência e fatores associados à polifarmácia e potenciais interações medicamentosas em adultos na cidade de Manaus: estudo transversal de base populacional, 2019 / Prevalencia y factores asociados a la polifarmacia y posibles interacciones farmacológicas en adultos en la ciudad de Manaus, Amazonas, Brasil: estudio transversal poblacional, 2019 / Prevalence and factors associated with polypharmacy and potential drug interactions in adults in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil: a cross-sectional population-based study, 2019

Objetivo: Analisar a prevalência e fatores associados à polifarmácia e a presença de potenciais interações medicamentosas em Manaus, estado do Amazonas, Brasil, em 2019. Métodos: Estudo transversal de base populacional, com adultos de ≥ 18 anos. Entre pessoas em polifarmácia (≥ 5 medicamentos), pesquisou-se a presença de interações medicamentosas na base Micromedex. Razões de prevalências (RP) com intervalos de confiança de 95% (IC95%) foram calculadas por regressão de Poisson com variância robusta, seguindo análise hierárquica e considerando o delineamento amostral complexo. Resultados: Dos 2.321 participantes, 2,8% (IC95% 2,1;3,6) estavam em polifarmácia e, destes, 74,0% apresentaram interações, sendo mais frequentes quatro ou mais interações por pessoa (40,4%) e gravidade alta (59,5%). Polifarmácia foi maior entre idosos (RP = 3,24; IC95% 1,25;8,42), pessoas com saúde ruim (RP = 2,54; IC95% 1,14;5,67), hospitalização prévia (RP = 1,90; IC95% 1,09;3,32) e multimorbidade (RP = 3,20; IC95% 1,53;6,67). Conclusão: A polifarmácia foi mais frequente entre idosos e pessoas com problemas de saúde, que tiveram mais interações medicamentosas.

Objetivo: Analizar la prevalencia y factores asociados a la polifarmacia y la presencia de posibles interacciones farmacológicas en Manaus, estado de Amazonas, Brasil, en 2019. Métodos: Estudio poblacional transversal realizado con adultos con edad ≥ 18 años. Entre personas en polifarmacia (≥ 5 medicamentos), se investigó la presencia de interacciones farmacológicas en Micromedex. Las razones de prevalencia (RP) con intervalos de confianza de 95% (IC95%) se calcularon mediante la regresión de Poisson con varianza robusta, siguiendo análisis jerárquico y considerando el diseño de muestra complejo. Resultados: De los 2.321 participantes, 2,8% (IC95% 2,1;3,6) se encontraban en polifarmacia, de los cuales 74,0% presentaban interacciones, siendo más frecuentes cuatro o más interacciones por persona (40,4%) y de alta gravedad (59,5%). La polifarmacia fue mayor entre los ancianos (RP = 3,24; IC95% 1,25;8,42), personas con mala salud (RP = 2,54; IC95% 1,14;5,67), hospitalización previa (RP = 1,90; IC95% 1,09;3,32) y multimorbilidade (RP = 3,20; IC95% 1,53;6,67). Conclusión: La polifarmacia fue más frecuente entre los ancianos y personas con problemas de salud, que potencialmente tenían más interacciones farmacológicas.

Objective: To assess the prevalence and factors associated with polypharmacy and the presence of potential drug interactions in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, in 2019. Methods: This was a population-based cross-sectional study conducted with adults aged ≥ 18 years. The presence of drug interactions among people on a polypharmacy regimen (≥ 5 drugs) was investigated on the Micromedex database. Prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated using Poisson regression model with robust variance, following hierarchical analysis and considering the complex sample design. Results: Of the 2,321 participants, 2.8% (95%CI 2.1;3.6) were on polypharmacy regimen, of whom, 74.0% presented drug interactions, usually with four or more drug interactions per person (40.4%) and high severity (59.5%). Polypharmacy was higher among older adults (PR = 3.24; 95%CI 1.25;8.42), people with poor health (PR = 2.54; 95%CI 1.14;5.67), previous hospitalization (PR = 1.90; 95%CI 1.09;3.32) and multimorbidity (PR = 3.20; 95%CI 1.53;6.67). Conclusion: Polypharmacy was more frequent among older adults and people with medical problems, who presented more drug interactions.

Use of medication and associated factors in adults living in Rio Branco, Acre. Use of medication in adults

Abstract We analyzed use of medication and associated factors in adults aged 18-59 years living in Rio Branco, Acre. This is a cross-sectional and population-based study that used a probabilistic sample of the population from rural and urban areas of the city of Rio Branco, Acre. The Prevalence Ratio (PR) was calculated with 95% confidence intervals and associations were estimated by Poisson regression. This study found a 29.4% prevalence ratio of use of medication among individuals aged from 18 to 59 years (685 adults: 473 women and 212 men; producing estimates for 211,902 adults: 110,769 women and 101,133 men). After adjusted analysis, their use was associated with: age (50-59 years, PR: 2.36; 95%CI: 2.29-2.43); women (PR: 1.25; 95%CI: 1.23-1.27); up to elementary school (PR: 1.13; 95%CI: 1.11-1.15); and poor or very poor self-rated health (PR: 1.47; 95%CI: 1.43-1.51). The health conditions associated with use of medication were: number of comorbidities, hypertension, diabetes, insomnia, depression, number of health complaints and use of health services. The most frequently used drugs were those belonging to the following ATC categories: alimentary tract and metabolism, cardiovascular system, nervous system, and the musculoskeletal system.

Potential medication incompatibilities in pediatric oncology prescriptions

Introduction: Pediatric oncology patients have a limited number of venous access routes and need a large number of drugs during hospitalization. This study evaluates potential medication incompatibilities (MI) in pediatric oncology prescriptions and identifies possible factors associated with the risk of their occurrence. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated prescriptions from a tertiary universitary hospital from December 2014 to December 2015. The association between variables and the risk of potential incompatibilities between drugs was determined by Student's t-test and Pearson's chi-square, considering p < 0.05 significant. The odds ratio was calculated considering a 95% confidence interval for each drug. Results: 385 prescriptions were evaluated. The mean age of 124 patients was 9.22 years old (SD = ± 5.10), and 50.65% were male. The most frequent diagnosis and reason for hospitalization were leukemia (27.30%) and chemotherapy (36.10%). The totally implantable catheter was the most commonly used venous access (61.30%). In 87.5% of prescriptions, there was the possibility of MI, and 2108 incompatibilities were found, considering 300 different combinations between two drugs. Age, diagnosis, reason for hospitalization, and type of venous access were risk factors for potential incompatibilities (p < 0.05). The following drugs present higher risk of potential incompatibilities: leucovorin, sodium bicarbonate, cefepime, diphenhydramine, dimenhydrinate, hydrocortisone, and ondansetron, with a significant odds ratio. Conclusion: The possibility of MI in prescriptions for pediatric oncology patients is frequent. Thus, the identification of risk factors may contribute to patient safety and to the rational use of drugs.

Association of sociodemographic factors with the prescription pattern of opioids for dental patients: A systematic review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Oral health practitioners are responsible for a significant share of opioid prescriptions that seem to be influenced by many aspects, including sociodemographic factors. However, there is no consensus on the factors associated with opioid prescription in Dentistry. OBJECTIVE: To identify whether patients' sociodemographic factors are associated with the prescription pattern of opioids in Dentistry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This systematic review will include observational studies (cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort). Electronic searches will be conducted in MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, Scopus, Web of science, LILACS, SciELO, and Google Scholar. Grey literature will also be consulted. Two independent reviewers will screen all retrieved articles for eligibility, extract data, and assess the methodological quality of the included studies. The results will be presented as a narrative synthesis and, where possible, a meta-analysis will be conducted. Certainty of the evidence will be assessed with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42020211226.

Many Young Children with Autism Who Use Psychotropic Medication Do Not Receive Behavior Therapy: A Multisite Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore how many pre-school aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) used psychotropic medication, child and geographic factors associated with psychotropic medication use, and how many children who used psychotropic medication did or did not ever receive behavior therapy. STUDY DESIGN: Children 2-5 years of age were enrolled from 2012 to 2016 in a multisite case-control study designed to investigate the development and risk factors of ASD. Children with a positive ASD screen or ASD diagnosis upon enrollment were asked to complete a comprehensive evaluation to determine ASD status and developmental level. Caregivers completed a Services and Treatments Questionnaire and multiple self-administered questionnaires to determine child use of psychotropic medication, ever receipt of behavior therapy, and presence of co-occurring symptoms. RESULTS: There were 763 children who were classified as ASD and had data collected on the Services and Treatments Questionnaire. Of those, 62 (8.1%) used psychotropic medication to treat behavioral symptoms and 28 (3.7%) were ≤3 years of age when medication was first started. Attention problems (aOR, 7.65; 95% CI, 3.41-16.1; P < .001) and study site (aOR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.04-6.56; P = .04) were significantly associated with psychotropic medication use after controlling for maternal race/ethnicity. More than one-half (59.7%) of those who used psychotropic medication did not ever receive behavior therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Many preschool-aged children with ASD who use psychotropic medication do not receive behavior therapy. Pediatricians are an important resource for children and families and can help facilitate behavioral treatment for children with ASD and other disorders.

An initial evaluation of expanded hemodialysis on hospitalizations, drug utilization, costs, and patient utility in Colombia.

To examine new evidence linking expanded hemodialysis (HDx) using a medium cut-off (MCO) membrane with hospitalizations, hospital days, medication use, costs, and patient utility. This retrospective study utilized data from Renal Care Services medical records database in Colombia from 2017 to 2019. Clinics included had switched all patients from high flux hemodialysis (HD HF) to HDx and had at least a year of data on HD HF and HDx. Data included demographic characteristics, comorbidities, years on dialysis, hospitalizations, medication use, and quality of life measured by the 36 item and Short Form versions of the Kidney Disease Quality of Life survey at the start of HDx, and 1 year after HDx, which were mapped to EQ-5D utilities. Generalized linear models were run on the outcomes of interest with an indicator for being on HDx. Annual cost estimates were also constructed. The study included 81 patients. HDx was significantly associated with lower dosing of erythropoietin stimulating agents, iron, hypertension medications, and insulin. HDx was also significantly associated with lower hospital days per year (5.94 on HD vs. 4.41 on HDx) although not with the number of hospitalizations. Estimates of annual hospitalization costs were 23.9% lower using HDx and patient utilities did not appear to decline. HDx was statistically significantly associated with reduced hospitalization days and lower medication dosages. Furthermore, this preliminary analysis suggested potential for HDx being a dominant strategy in terms of costs and utility and should motivate future work with larger samples and better controls.

Children with Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia in the United States: Data from the Cascade Screening for Awareness and Detection-FH Registry.

OBJECTIVE: To describe enrollment characteristics of youth in the Cascade Screening for Awareness and Detection of FH Registry. STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional analysis of 493 participants aged <18 years with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia recruited from US lipid clinics (n = 20) between April 1, 2014, and January 12, 2018. At enrollment, some were new patients and some were already in care. Clinical characteristics are described, including lipid levels and lipid-lowering treatments. RESULTS: Mean age at diagnosis was 9.4 (4.0) years; 47% female, 68% white and 12% Hispanic. Average (SD) highest Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was 238 (61) mg/dL before treatment. Lipid-lowering therapy was used by 64% of participants; 56% were treated with statin. LDL-C declined 84 mg/dL (33%) among those treated with lipid-lowering therapy; statins produced the greatest decline, 100 mg/dL (39% reduction). At enrollment, 39% had reached an LDL-C goal, either <130 mg/dL or ≥50% decrease from pre-treatment; 20% of those on lipid-lowering therapy reached both goals. CONCLUSIONS: Among youth enrolled in the Cascade Screening for Awareness and Detection of FH Registry, diagnosis occurred relatively late, only 77% of children eligible for lipid-lowering therapy were receiving treatment, and only 39% of those treated met their LDL-C goal. Opportunities exist for earlier diagnosis, broader use of lipid-lowering therapy, and greater reduction of LDL-C levels.

Age and Perioperative Outcomes After Implementation of an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Pathway in Women Undergoing Major Prolapse Repair Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: As perioperative care pathways are developed to improve recovery, there is a need to explore the impact of age. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of a urogynecology-specific enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway on perioperative outcomes across 3 age categories: young, middle age, and elderly. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted assessing same-day discharge, opioid administration, pain scores, and complications differences across and within 3 age categories, young (<61 years), middle age (61-75 years), elderly (>75 years), before and after ERAS implementation. RESULTS: Among 98 (25.7%) young, 202 (52.9%) middle-aged, and 82 (21.5%) elderly women, distribution before and after ERAS implementation was similar. In each age category, we found a commensurate increase in same-day discharge and decrease in length of stay independent of age. Age was associated with a variable response to opioid administration after ERAS. In women who received opioids, we found there was a greater reduction in opioids in elderly. Young women received 22.5 mg more than middle-aged women, whereas elderly women received 24.3 mg less than middle-aged women (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001) for a mean difference of 46.8 mg between the youngest and oldest group. We found no significant differences in postanesthesia care unit pain scores with ERAS implementation. Complications did not increase after ERAS implementation in any age group, although younger and elderly women were more likely to experience complications independent of ERAS. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly women had similar outcomes compared with their younger counterparts after implementation of an ERAS pathway. Further research is needed to assess whether our age-related observations are generalizable.

Utilização de medicamentos por hipertensos e/ou diabéticos cadastrados em uma Estratégia Saúde da Família / Use of medicines for hypertension and diabetics registered in a Family Health Strategy / Utilización de medicamentos por hipertensos y/o diabéticos catastrados en una Estrategia de Salud de la Familia

Objetivo: analisar o perfil de utilização de medicamentos por hipertensos e/ou diabéticos de uma Estratégia de Saúde da Família do Sul de Mato Grosso. Métodos: trata-se de uma pesquisa quantitativa e transversal com usuários cadastrados em uma Unidade Básica de Saúde. Os dados foram coletados em visitas domiciliares. Resultados: os usuários consumiram uma média de 2,9 medicamentos. Não houve diferença estatística no consumo médio de medicamentos entre homens e mulheres. Os idosos utilizavam mais medicamentos. Os fármacos que atuam no sistema cardiovascular foram os mais consumidos. Conclusão: os resultados apontam para a necessidade da promoção do uso racional de medicamentos, sobretudo na população idosa

Objective: to analyze the profile of drug use by hypertensive and diabetic people from a Family Health Strategy of Southern Mato Grosso. Methods: this is a quantitative and cross-sectional research with users registered at a Basic Health Unit. The data were collected in home visits. Results: the users consumed an average of 2.9 drugs. There was no statistical difference in the mean consumption between men and women. The elders used more drugs. The most used drugs were the ones that work in the cardiovascular system. Conclusion: the results show the need for promoting the rational use of drugs, especially in the elderly population

Objetivo: analizar el perfil de utilización de medicamentos por hipertensos y/o diabéticos de una Estrategia de Salud de la Familia del Sur de Mato Grosso. Métodos: se trata de una investigación cuantitativa y transversal con usuarios registrados en una Unidad Básica de Salud. Los datos fueron colectados en visitas domiciliarias. Resultados: los usuarios consumieron una media de 2,9 medicamentos. No habia diferencia estadística en el consumo medio de medicamentos entre hombres y mujeres. Los ancianos utilizaban más medicamentos. Los fármacos que actúan en el sistema cardiovascular fueron los más consumidos. Conclusión: los resultados apuntan a la necesidad de la promoción del uso racional de medicamentos, sobre todo en la población anciana

Availability of secondary healthcare data for conducting pharmacoepidemiology studies in Colombia: A systematic review.

Real-world evidence (RWE) is emerging as a fundamental component of the post-marketing evaluation of medicinal products. Even though the focus on RWE studies has increased in Colombia, the availability of secondary data sources to perform this type of research is not well documented. Thus, we aimed at identifying and characterizing secondary data sources available in Colombia. We performed a systematic literature review on PubMed, EMBASE, and VHL using a combination of controlled vocabulary and keywords for the concepts of electronic health records, epidemiologic studies and Colombia. A total of 323 publications were included. These comprised 123 identified secondary data sources including pharmacy dispensing databases, government datasets, disease registries, insurance databases, and electronic heath records, among others. These data sources were mostly used for cross-sectional studies focused on disease epidemiology in a specific population. Almost all databases (95%) contained demographic information, followed by pharmacological treatment (44%) and diagnostic tests (39%). Even though the database owner was identifiable in 94%, access information was only available in 44% of the articles. Only a pharmacy-dispensing database, local cancer registries, and government databases included a description regarding the quality of the information available. The diversity of databases identified shows that Colombia has a high potential to continue enhancing its RWE strategy. Greater efforts are required to improve data quality and accessibility. The linkage between databases will expand data pooling and integration to boost the translational potential of RWE.

Availability of over-the-counter antibiotics in Guatemalan corner stores.

Widespread availability of antibiotics without prescription potentially facilitates overuse and contributes to selection pressure for antimicrobial resistant bacteria. Prior to this study, anecdotal observations in Guatemala identified corner stores as primary antibiotic dispensaries, where people purchase antibiotics without prescriptions. We carried out a cross sectional study to document the number and types of antibiotics available in corner stores, in four study areas in Guatemala. A total of 443 corner stores were surveyed, of which 295 (67%) sold antibiotics. The most commonly available antibiotics were amoxicillin, found in 246/295 (83%) stores, and tetracycline, found in 195/295 (66%) stores. Over the counter sales result from laissez-faire enforcement of antibiotic dispensing regulations in Guatemala combined with patient demand. This study serves as a baseline to document changes in the availability of antibiotics in informal establishments in light of new pharmacy regulations for antibiotic dispensing, which were adopted after this study was completed.

Use of drugs for gastrointestinal disorders: evidence from National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines.

Objective To estimate the prevalence of use of drugs to treat gastrointestinal disorders, according to demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics of the Brazilian population. Methods This is a population-based survey that interviewed individuals residing in cities of the five regions in Brazil. The study sample was composed of 32,348 individuals aged 20 or more years. The profile of use of drugs for gastrointestinal disorders was evaluated considering the variables sex, age, healthcare plan, region, and number of chronic diseases. We also analyzed the frequency of individuals who declared using other drugs, besides those already employed for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. Additionally, the estimated frequencies of the drug classes used were determined. Results The prevalence of use of drugs for gastrointestinal disorders in Brazil was 6.9% (95% confidence interval - 6.4-7.6), higher in females, among persons aged over 60 years, in those who had a private healthcare insurance, and presented with two or more chronic diseases. It was noted that 42.9% of the aged who used drugs for gastrointestinal disorders were also on polypharmacy. As to the classes of drugs, 82% corresponded to drugs for the food tract and metabolism, particularly proton pumps inhibitors. Conclusion The use of drugs for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders was significant among women and elderly. In this age group, consumption may be linked to gastric protection due to polypharmacy. This study is an unprecedented opportunity to observe the self-reported consumption profile of these drugs in Brazil and, therefore, could subsidize strategies to promote their rational use.

Use of medicines by adults in primary care: Survey on health services in Minas Gerais, Brazil. / Uso de medicamentos por adultos na atenção primária: inquérito em serviços de saúde de Minas Gerais, Brasil.

INTRODUCTION: Inappropriate use and increase of health care spending reinforce the need to extend our knowledge about the quality of medication use. OBJECTIVES: To describe and evaluate the profile of medication use in a representative sample of adult users of primary care services in the Unified Health System (SUS) of Minas Gerais. METHOD: Cross-sectional study, with 1,159 interviewees in 104 municipalities and 253 health care services. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions and use of medicines were collected, and these variables were stratified by age group. Univariate and multivariate analyses, using logistic regression, were conducted to identify predictors of self-medication. We set a significance level of 5% for all tests. RESULTS: The prevalence of medication use was 81.8%, with an average of 2.67 medicines per user, which increased with age. The most used drugs were losartan, hydrochlorothiazide and simvastatin, which differed between age groups. Significant self-medication was observed not only in young adults but also in the elderly. The predictors of self-medication were: being a young adult, having a higher level of education, not having chronic diseases, having worse self-perception of health and not adhering to prescription drugs. Young and elderly adults showed characteristics that made them more vulnerable in relation to the rational use of medicines. CONCLUSION: This study can contribute to improving primary care, where it identified problems related to the extent of medication use, especially among young adults and the elderly in Minas Gerais.

Increased use of benzodiazepines among older adults: Bambuí Project. / Aumento da utilização de benzodiazepínicos entre idosos mais velhos: Projeto Bambuí.

BACKGROUND: Benzodiazepines are the most widely used psychoactive drugs, despite the risks associated with their prolonged use, especially among older adults. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the use of benzodiazepines among community-dwelling people aged ≥ 75 years. METHODS: The study was conducted among members of the baseline (in 1997) and survivors (in 2012) of the Bambuí Project cohort. The prevalence of benzodiazepine use was estimated separately for each year, and the comparison between them was performed using the Poisson regression model with robust variance. RESULTS: The prevalence of benzodiazepine use was higher in 2012 (33.9%) compared to 1997 (24.9%). After multiple adjustments, the difference in prevalence did not remain significant in study population (PR = 1.25; 95%CI 0.99 - 1.60), unlike that observed in the female stratum (PR = 1.38; 95%CI 1.04 - 1.84). Clonazepam was the strongest-growing drug between the two years (PR = 4.94; 95%CI 2.54 - 9.62). CONCLUSION: This study showed an important increase in benzodiazepine use in an older adult population. These results are concerning as these drugs are contraindicated for use in older adults, mainly if used chronically, and are available in the national list of essential medicines. Health professionals should be aware of the risks involved in its use regarding this population.