Potentially inappropriate prescribing among older patients and associated factors: comparison of two versions of STOPP/START criteria

Abstract The study aimed to estimate and compare the prevalence and type of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs) between the STOPP/START original (v1) and updated version (v2) among older patients in various settings, as well as associated factors. The study included 440 patients attending a community pharmacy, 200 outpatients and 140 nursing home users. An increase in the prevalence of STOPP v2 (57.9%) compared to v1 (56.2%) was not statistically significant in the total sample and within each setting (p>0.05). A decrease in the prevalence of START v1 (55.8%) to v2 (41.2%) was statistically significant (p<0.001) in the total sample and within each setting (p<0.05). Drug indication (32.9%) and fall-risk medications (32.2%) were most commonly identified for STOPP v2, while cardiovascular system criteria (30.5%) were the most frequently detected for START v2. The number of medications was the strongest predictor for both STOPP v1 and v2, with odds ratio values of 1.35 and 1.34, respectively. Patients' characteristics associated with the occurrence of STOPP and START criteria were identified. According to both STOPP/START versions, the results indicate a substantial rate of potentially inappropriate prescribing among elderly patients. The prevalence of PIMs was slightly higher with the updated version, while the prevalence of PPOs was significantly lower

Perceptions and Attitudes of Hospital' Prescribers towards Drug Information Sources and Prescribing Practices

Abstract Healthcare professionals use a variety of drug information sources to fulfill their clinical needs and medical practice. The aim of present study was to assess the sources of drug information among hospital' prescribers and evaluate their prescribing behavior in Saudi hospitals. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among randomly selected hospital' prescribers using a self-administered questionnaire. The response rate to the survey was 64.29%, with a ratio of 76.44% male and 23.56% female. The internet 137(60.89%) and textbooks 86(38.22%) were the prevalent sources for drug information used. Up-To-Date 107(47.56%), Medscape 105(46.67%) and FDA 74(32.88%) were the common electronic drug sources used. About 151(67.11%) of hospital' prescribers considered the pharmacist as a reliable drug information source. The most favored drug requests by hospital' prescribers from the pharmacists were drug alternatives 110(48.89%) followed by drug interactions 94(41.78%), side effects 78(34.67%) and indications 60(26.67%). Therapeutic efficacy 168(74.67%) and drug availability 73(32.44%) were the main factors contributed to the selection of drugs. This study shows some differences in hospital prescribers' perceptions of sources of drug information depending upon their background and clinical practice. Therefore, knowing appropriate drug information used by hospital' prescribers is fundamental for drug efficacy and safety in clinical practice.

Herbal medicines from the industry in the unified health system: challenge faced by medical professionals

Abstract The World Health Organization recognized the use of herbal medicines as a therapeutic resource and its application in the primary attention to heath. The begin of this expansion was in 2006, with the National Policy on Integrative and Complementary practices of the Unified Health System (SUS). This research aimed to evaluate the questionnaires applied to doctors, who may have prescribed industrialized herbal medicines and to identify the difficulties involved with the implementation of this therapy as an integrative and complementary practice. It is a quantitative, observational and transversal study conducted in the municipality of Pinhais/Brazil. The questionnaire applied had as themes the experience of personal use of industrialized herbal medicines, improvement after their use. Forty-four individuals from four different nationalities: Brazilian (88.64%), Cuban (6.82%), Mexican (2.27%) and Argentinian (2.27%), ages between 25 and 69 years, mainly male sex (54.55%) answered the questionnaire. According to the study, the doctors consider herbal medicines an alternative to the conventional treatment and these medical professionals have already prescribed some industrialized herbal medications. Despite the difficulties faced by medical doctors with the prescription of herbs, it is possible to define strategies to assist these professionals, such as the incentive the actions by the governments.

Uso y publicidad del diagnóstico genético para dietas personalizadas en nutrición: comentario a la sentencia 317/2018 del Tribunal Superior de Justicia del País Vasco / Use and advertising of genetic diagnosis for personalised diets in nutrition: commentary on judgement 317/2018 of the High Court of Justice of the Basque Country

El presente trabajo comenta la sentencia 317/2018 del Tribunal Superior de Justicia del País Vasco, que desestima la solicitud de un farmacéutico diplomado en Nutrición de publicitar un asesoramiento nutricional individualizado mediante la realización de un test nutrigenético. El fallo del Tribunal y las alegaciones tanto del solicitante como del Departamento de Salud del Gobierno Vasco dan paso a un debate sobre cuál es la utilidad real de este método para la personalización de dietas, novedad hoy día de fácil acceso a la población general, y si ésta es suficientemente autónoma cuando toma la decisión de usarla. Finalmente analizamos a qué nivel debe enmarcarse el empleo de esta prueba

The present work comments sentence 317/2018 of the Superior Court of Justice of the Basque Country, which dismisses the request of a pharmacist qualified in Nutrition to publicize an individualized nutritional advice by performing a nutrigenetic test. The ruling of the Court and the allegations of both the applicant and the Health Department of the Basque Government give way to a debate on what is the real use of this method for personalizing diets, a novelty nowadays easily accessible to the general population, and if it is sufficiently autonomous when it makes the decision to use it. Finally, we analyze at what level the use of this test should be framed

Utilización de medicamentos en condiciones off-label y unlicensed: resultados de un estudio piloto realizado en una unidad de cuidados intensivos pediátricos / Off-label and unlicensed drug use: Results from a pilot study in a pediatric intensive care unit

OBJETIVO: Evaluar el perfil de utilización de medicamentos en situaciones no autorizadas en una unidad de cuidados intensivos pediátricos de un hospital universitario. MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo prospectivo durante 6 semanas en una unidad de cuidados intensivos pediátricos. Se incluyeron pacientes ingresados con edades entre 0-18 años. Se evaluó cada uno de los medicamentos prescritos, indicación o condición de uso, según la información reflejada en las fichas técnicas autorizadas por la Agencia Europea de Medicamentos. Se definió un algoritmo secuencial para clasificar de manera estandarizada los medicamentos según la condición de prescripción en unlicensed, off-label o aprobado. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 42 pacientes, analizándose un total de 696 prescripciones, que implicaron 102 fármacos diferentes. Todos los pacientes tuvieron al menos un tratamiento off-label. El 8,6% del total de tratamientos analizados se utilizaron en condiciones unlicensed y el 53,9% en off-label. El principal motivo de uso off-label fue por indicación, seguido de la edad y dosis. Existe una relación lineal entre frecuencia de uso de medicamentos en condiciones off-label y la edad del paciente, aumentando esta frecuencia según disminuye la edad del paciente. Los medicamentos más utilizados en condiciones off-label fueron: atropina, etomidato, metamizol y ranitidina, y en condiciones unlicensed fueron: espironolactona, sildenafilo, acetazolamida e hidroclorotiazida. CONCLUSIÓN: La unidad de cuidados intensivos pediátricos se caracteriza por una alto ratio de medicamentos prescritos en condiciones no autorizadas. La realización de estudios de estas características permite documentar la práctica clínica respecto al uso de medicamentos en condiciones distintas a las autorizadas

PURPOSE: To analyze the prevalence of use of off-label and unlicensed drugs in a pediatric intensive care unit of a University Hospital. METHOD: An observational, descriptive, prospective six week pilot study in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Hospitalized patients aged between 0 and 18 years were included. Each prescribed drug was evaluated taking into account indication and condition of use, according to the information available on the Summary of Product Characteristics established by the European Medicines Agency. A sequential algorithm was defined allowing drug classification in unlicensed, off-label or approved. RESULTS: Forty-two patients were included. A total of 696 prescriptions, involving 102 different drugs, were analyzed. All patients had at least one off-label prescription, and a median of 8.9 off-label prescriptions was obtained. Of the total prescriptions, 8.6% were unlicensed and 53.9% corresponded to off-label use. The main reason for off-label use was by indication, followed by age and dose. A lineal tendency between off-label drug use and patient age was observed, where off-label use increased as patient age decreased. The drugs most commonly used offlabel were: atropine, etomidate, dipyrone and ranitidine, and unlicensed drugs: spironolactone, sildenafil, acetazolamide and hydrochlorothiazide. CONCLUSION: Pediatric Intensive Care Units are characterized by a high ratio of off-label and unlicensed prescriptions. The scarce number of studies performed in this specific and complex sub-population added inconveniency to the current lack of data on safety and efficacy for drugs in paediatrics. Performing studies with these characteristics allows us to document practice on paediatric drug utilisation are required

Development and evaluation of a record linkage protocol for Utah's Controlled Substance Database.

Utah's Controlled Substance Database prescription registry does not include master identifiers to link records for individual patients. We describe and evaluate a linkage protocol for Utah's Controlled Substance Database. Prescriptions (N = 22,401,506) dated 2005-2009 were linked using The Link King software and patient identifiers (e.g. names, dates of birth) for 2,232,725 patients. Review of 998 randomly selected record pairs classified 46 percent as definitely correct links and 54 percent as probably correct links. A correct link could not be confirmed for <1 percent. None were classified as probably incorrect links or definitely incorrect links. Record set reviews (N = 100 patients/set for 10 set sizes, randomly selected) classified 27-49 percent as definitely correct links and 39-63 percent as probably correct links. Fewer had too little information to confirm a link (5%-22%) or were probably incorrect (0%-6%). None were definitely incorrect. Overall, results suggest that Utah's Controlled Substance Database records were correctly linked. These data may be useful for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of patient-controlled substance prescription histories.

Prescripción apropiada, adherencia y seguridad de los antiinflamatorios no esteroideos / Appropriate prescription, adherence and safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Los antiinflamatorios no esteroideos (AINE) configuran la familia más numerosa de fármacos que comparten los mismos mecanismos de acción y actividades terapéuticas (antiinflamatoria, analgésica y antipirética). A pesar de tener una eficacia similar para controlar el dolor, los diferentes AINE disponibles presentan variabilidad en su perfil de seguridad. El riesgo de complicaciones gastrointestinales y cardiovasculares varía en función del AINE y de la dosis que utilicemos, además de la presencia de factores de riesgo. Es necesaria una evaluación individualizada de cada caso antes de sentar tanto la indicación del AINE «ideal» como la estrategia de prevención gastrointestinal si fuera necesaria. Una correcta prescripción y una adecuada adherencia al tratamiento gastroprotector son los objetivos que hay que plantearse para conseguir reducir las complicaciones secundarias al tratamiento con AINE. Recientemente se han publicado unas recomendaciones de prescripción adecuada fruto de la colaboración de la Asociación Española de Gastroenterología y las sociedades españolas de Reumatología y Cardiología que tiene por objeto impulsar un uso racional de los AINE en función de los últimos estudios publicados. Esta revisión completa aspectos adicionales necesarios para facilitar la toma de decisiones óptima en el uso habitual de estos fármacos en la práctica clínica diaria (AU)

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most numerous category of drugs sharing the same mechanism of action and therapeutic activities (anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-pyretic). Despite having similar efficacy for pain relieve, the different available NSAIDs show variability in its safety profile. The risk of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular complications varies depending on the dose of NSAID and also the presence of different risk factors. It is necessary, therefore, an individualized case assessment before establishing the indication of the best NSAID for each patient, taking account of the best gastroprotection strategy. Improved prescription and enhanced treatment adherence are central objectives to reduce NSAID-related complications. A recent consensus of the Spanish Association of Gastroenterology and the Spanish societies of Cardiology and Rheumatology intends to promote the rational use of NSAIDs according to new recent studies. This review provides additional aspects to facilitate the optimal decision-making process in the routine use of these drugs in clinical practice (AU)

Satisfacción del paciente en consulta de atención primaria. Ajustando a tiempos de crisis / Patient satisfaction in the primary care clinic. Adjusting to times of crisis

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Colorectal cancer metastatic to the brain: analysis of prognostic factors and impact of KRAS mutations on presentation and outcome

Background. Treatment concepts for metastatic colorectal cancer continue to evolve. While the presence of RAS mutations impacts systemic therapy, little is known about the influence of such mutations in patients with brain metastases. Patients and methods. Pooled retrospective analysis was conducted of 57 patients with brain metastases from colorectal cancer treated in two different institutions (2005-2013). Results. The only mutations analyzed in a relatively large subgroup were KRAS mutations (14 wild type, 12 mutated). Mutation status was not associated with baseline characteristics such as number or location of metastases, and did not impact prognosis. Three factors were significantly associated with survival in multivariate analysis: Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), management strategy, and systemic treatment. Median survival was 0.6 months with best supportive care, 3.0 months with initial whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT), and 12.7 months if initial treatment included surgery or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), p = 0.0001. The survival difference between the WBRT and surgery/SRS groups was largest in patients with KPS 80-100. Conclusion. Effective local treatment was a prerequisite for improved survival. The only significant prognostic baseline factor was KPS, which forms the basis of the diagnosis-specific graded prognostic assessment (DS-GPA) score. Thus, our results validate the DS-GPA in this patient population. So far, neither this nor other studies suggest a clinically important impact of KRAS mutations beyond their previously reported association with development of brain metastases. Studies focusing on patients who develop brain metastases early during the course of metastatic disease might be warranted, because the influence of different systemic therapies might be larger in this subgroup (AU)

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Medication regimen complexity in adults and the elderly in a primary healthcare setting: determination of high and low complexities / Complejidad del regimen de medicación en adultos y ancianos en un centro de cuidados primaries: determinación de la complejidad alta y baja

Background: The complexity of a medication regimen is related to the multiple characteristics of the prescribed regimen and can negatively influence the health outcomes of patients. Objective: To propose cut-off points in the complexity of pharmacotherapy to distinguish between patients with low and high complexities seen in a primary health care (PHC) setting to enable prioritization of patient management. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, which included 517 adult and elderly patients, analyzing different cut-off points to define the strata of low and high pharmacotherapy complexities based on percentiles of the population evaluated. Data collection began with the solicitation of prescriptions, followed by a questionnaire that was administered by an interviewer. The complexity of a medication regimen was estimated from the Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI). High complexity pharmacotherapy scores were analyzed from patient profiles, the use of health services, and pharmacotherapy. The criteria for subject inclusion in the sample population were as follows: inhabitant of the area covered by the municipality, 18 years or older, and being prescribed at least one drug during the collection period. Exclusion criteria at the time of collection were the use of any medication whose prescription was not available. All medications were accessed through the Primary Healthcare Service (PHS). Results: The median total pharmacotherapy complexity score was 8.5. High MRCI scores were correlated with age, medications taken with in the Brazilian PHS, having at least one potential drug-related problem, receiving up to eight years of schooling, number of medications and polypharmacy (five or more medicines), number of medical conditions, number of medical appointments, and number of cardiovascular diseases and endocrine metabolic diseases. We suggest different complexity tracks according to age (e.g., adult or elderly) that consider the pharmacotherapy and population coverage characteristics as high complexity limits. For the elderly patients, the tracks were as follows: MRCI≥25.4, MRCI≥20.9, MRCI≥17.5, MRCI≥15.7, MRCI≥14.0, and MRCI≥13.0. For adult patients, the limits of high complexity were MRCI≥25.1; MRCI ≥ 23.8; MRCI≥21.0; MRCI≥17.0; MRCI≥16.5; and MRCI≥15.5. Conclusion: The medication regimen complexity is associated with the patient's illness profile and problems with the use of drugs; therefore, the proposed scores can be useful in prioritizing patients for clinical care by pharmacists and other health professionals (AU)

Antecedentes: La complejidad de un régimen de medicación se relaciona con las múltiples características del régimen prescrito que pueden influenciar negativamente los resultados en salud de los pacientes. Objetivo: Proponer puntos de corte en la complejidad de la farmacoterapia para diferenciar entre pacientes de baja y alta complejidad que permita la priorización de la gestión de los pacientes entre los atendidos en un centro de cuidados primarios. Métodos: Este es un estudio transversal que incluyó 517 adultos y ancianos analizando diferentes puntos de corte para definir los estratos de alta y baja complejidad de la farmacoterapia basándose en los percentiles de la población evaluada. La recogida de datos comenzó con la solicitud de las prescripciones, seguida de un cuestionario administrado por un entrevistador. La complejidad de la medicación se estimó mediante el Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI). En las farmacoterapias de alta complejidad se analizó los perfiles de los pacientes, el uso de servicios de salud, y la farmacoterapia. Los criterios para la inclusión de la muestra fueron: habitantes del área cubierta por el municipio, 18 años o más, y tener prescrito al menos un medicamento durante el periodo de recogida de datos. Los criterios de exclusión durante la recogida de datos fue el uso de algún medicamento que no estaba disponible. Todos los medicamentos eran del Servicio de Cuidados Primarios (PHS). Resultados: La mediana total de puntuación de complejidad de la farmacoterapia fue de 8,5. Las puntuaciones altas del MRCI se correlacionaban con la edad, medicamentos tomados del PHS, tener al menos una interacción potencial medicamento-medicamento, tener más de 8 años de escolaridad, numero de medicamentos, polimedicación (cinco o más medicamentos), número de problemas de salud, número de visitas al médico, y numero de enfermedades cardiovasculares o metabólicas. Sugerimos diferentes tramos de complejidad de acuerdo a la edad (e.g. adultos o ancianos) que tienen en cuenta las características de la población y la farmacoterapia como límites de alta complejidad. Para los ancianos los tramos eran: MRCI≥25,4, MRCI≥20,9, MRCI≥17,5, MRCI≥15,7, MRCI≥14,0, y MRCI≥13,0. Para los pacientes adultos los límites de complejidad eran: MRCI≥25,1; MRCI ≥ 23,8; MRCI≥21,0; MRCI≥17,0; MRCI≥16,5; y MRCI≥15,5. Conclusión: La complejidad del régimen de medicación se asocia con el perfil de enfermedad del paciente y sus problemas de uso de medicamentos; por tanto, los limites propuestos pueden ser útiles para priorizar pacientes en cuidados clínicos de los farmacéuticos u otros profesionales de la salud (AU)

Analysis of Requirements for the Medication Profile to Be Used in Clinical Research: Protocol Feasibility Studies and Patient Recruitment.

A "Medication Profile," the information about the medicines a person is using and has used, is a core part of many electronic health record systems and summaries. However, there is little objective research into the data elements that the profile should contain to support the uses it must serve. With the increasing emphasis on secondary uses of electronic health information, as well as supporting the requirements to support direct to patient care, the Medication Profile should also support the requirements from clinical research. However, there is little, if any, description of these available. This paper describes an analysis of a set of study eligibility criteria that was undertaken to investigate which medication-related data elements would be required to support two clinical research use cases: the parameters to query a patient's Medication Profile to assess their suitability for entry into a trial (patient recruitment) and the parameters to query a set of Medication Profiles in a data warehouse to assess whether the eligibility criteria as described would yield a reasonable cohort of patients as potential subjects (protocol feasibility). These medication-related data elements then become information requirements that a Medication Profile should ideally meet, in order to be able to support these two uses in the clinical research domain.

Prevalencia de realización y prescripción de ejercicio físico en pacientes diagnosticados de ansiedad y depresión / Prevalence of performing and prescribing physical exercise in patients diagnosed with anxiety and depression

OBJETIVO: Estimar la prevalencia de la práctica y la prescripción de ejercicio físico en pacientes diagnosticados de ansiedad y/o depresión. DISEÑO: Descriptivo observacional transversal. Emplazamiento: Centros de Salud de Sabugo y Magdalena de Avilés. PARTICIPANTES: Pacientes de 18-75 años diagnosticados de ansiedad y/o depresión consumidores de psicofármacos en los 3 meses previos a la realización del estudio. Se seleccionan 376 pacientes mediante muestreo aleatorizado simple estratificado por centro de salud, realizándoseles una encuesta telefónica. MEDICIONES PRINCIPALES: Edad, sexo, realización de ejercicio físico, tipo y duración del mismo, diagnóstico de ansiedad y/o depresión, prescripción de ejercicio físico, personal sanitario prescriptor y consumo de psicofármacos. RESULTADOS: Participaron 294 (78,19% de los seleccionados) con una edad media de 55,33 años (55,32 ± 12,53 DE) y el 78,2% eran mujeres. El 60,9% estaban diagnosticados de ansiedad, el 59,5% de depresión y el 20,4% de ambas. El 62,9% consumían antidepresivos, el 76,9% benzodiazepinas y el 39,79% ambos tratamientos. El 58,8% (IC 95%: 52,70-64,31) realizaban ejercicio físico de los cuales el 44,77% lo hacía entre 3-5 veces/semana. La duración media fue de 1,24 h cada vez (IC 95%: 0,53-1,96). Al 59,18% (IC 95%: 53,39-64,97) se le prescribió la realización de ejercicio físico (90,23% médico y 63,22% enfermera de atención primaria, 17,24% psiquiatra y 5,17% psicólogo). La adherencia a la prescripción fue del 59,77% (IC 95%: 52,20-67,34). CONCLUSIONES: El porcentaje de pacientes ansiosos y/o deprimidos que realizan ejercicio físico es similar al de la población general aunque debería ser mayor. La prescripción de ejercicio físico por parte del personal sanitario es insuficiente

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a questionnaire on the integral assessment of the habits and knowledge in personal hygiene in children between 7 to 12 years old in the educational, social and health environment. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study for the validation of a questionnaire. LOCATION: One primary and secondary school and one children's home in the Region of Murcia, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 86 children were included (80 from a primary and secondary school; 6 from a children's home), as well as 7 experts. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Content validation by experts; qualitative assessment; identify difficulties related to some questions, item response analysis, and test-retest reliability. RESULTS: After the literature search, 20 tools that included items related to child body hygiene were obtained. The researchers selected 34 items and drafted 48 additional ones. After content validity by the experts, the questionnaire (HICORIN®) was reduced to 63 items, and consisted of 7 dimensions of child personal hygiene (skin, hair, hands, oral, feet, ears, and intimate hygiene). After with the children some terms were adapted to improve their understanding. Only two items had non-response rates that exceeded 10%. The test-retest showed that 84.1% of the items had between very good and moderate reliability. CONCLUSIONS: HICORIN® is a reliable and valid instrument that integrally assesses the habits and knowledge in personal hygiene in children between 7-12 years old. It is applicable in educative and social and health environments and in children from different socioeconomic levels

Operativización nacional de la prescripción / National implementation of the prescription

No disponible

Estudio piloto en una farmacia comunitaria sobre la eficiencia y la efectividad de la prescripción de estatinas / A pilot study in a community pharmacy to determine the efficiency and the effectiveness of statin prescriptions

ANTECEDENTES: La eficacia de las estatinas para reducir los niveles de LDL-colesterol es elevada, aunque sus costes son importantes y su efectividad en ámbitos reales, limitada. OBJETIVO: Analizar la eficiencia y la efectividad de las prescripciones de estatinas y su relación con características del paciente en un estudio piloto en una farmacia comunitaria. DISEÑO: Estudio transversal. Emplazamiento: Farmacia comunitaria. Prescripciones procedentes de 2 Centros de Salud de Lorca (Área III del Sistema Murciano de Salud). PARTICIPANTES: Ciento cuarentaiún pacientes y 32 médicos. MEDICIONES PRINCIPALES: Se recogieron variables sociodemográficas y clínicas de los pacientes, e información sobre el tipo y la dosis de estatina. En cada paciente se determinó: efectividad del tratamiento, en función del RCV y niveles de LDL-colesterol previos al tratamiento, y eficiencia, comparando el coste de la estatina prescrita con el de aquellas de igual potencia famacológica. RESULTADOS: El 57,4% de las prescripciones fueron de atorvastatina. El 63,9% de las prescripciones se consideraron ineficientes y el 17,3% inefectivas. En el análisis bivariado, los pacientes con eventos cardiovasculares previos (8/38; 21% vs.41/103; 39,8%, p = 0,040) y los fumadores (42/114; 36,8% vs.4/23; 17,4%, p = 0,047) tenían más riesgo de recibir una prescripción ineficiente. En el análisis multivariable, los fumadores tenían más probabilidad de recibir prescripciones ineficientes comparados con los no fumadores (OR ajustada 3,76; IC del 95%, 1,03-0,77; p = 0,012). CONCLUSIONES: Los pacientes alcanzaron mayoritariamente los objetivos de LDL-colesterol propuestos, aunque más de la mitad de las prescripciones se consideraron ineficientes

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of statins to reduce LDL-cholesterol serum levels is high, but effectiveness is limited and costs are elevated. OBJECTIVE: The efficiency and effectiveness of prescriptions were analyzed in a pilot study in a community pharmacy. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. LOCATION: Community pharmacy. Prescriptions from two Murcian Health Service Centers in Lorca, Murcia (Spain). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 141 patients and 32 general practitioners were included. The efficiency was analyzed in 141 and effectiveness in 110 PATIENTS: MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Socio-demographic characteristics and clinical history of patients and information about statin type and dosage were collected. Each patient was analyzed to determine the effectiveness of treatment according to cardiovascular risk and previous LDL-cholesterol level, and efficiency comparing the statin prescribed against other statins with equal pharmacological power. RESULTS: The most prescribed statin was atorvastatin (57.4%). Almost two-thirds (63.9%) of prescriptions were inefficient, and 17.3% were ineffective. In a bivariate analysis, patients with previous cardiovascular events (8/38; 21% vs 41/103; 39.8%. P=.040) and smokers (42/114; 36.8% vs 4/23; 17.4%, P=.047) were more likely to receive an inefficient prescription than patients with no cardiovascular events and non-smokers. In a multivariate analysis, smokers were more likely to receive an inefficient prescription than non-smokers (OR ajusted 3.76; 95% CI;1.03-0.77, P=.012). CONCLUSIONS: Most of the participants reached therapeutic objectives for LDL-Cholesterol levels, but more than half of the prescriptions were considered inefficient

Problematic clinical features of powered wheelchair users with severely disabling multiple sclerosis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to describe the clinical features of powered wheelchair users with severely disabling multiple sclerosis (MS) and explore the problematic clinical features influencing prescription. METHOD: Retrospective review of electronic and case note records of recipients of electric-powered indoor/outdoor powered wheelchairs (EPIOCs) attending a specialist wheelchair service between June 2007 and September 2008. Records were reviewed by a consultant in rehabilitation medicine, data systematically extracted and entered into a computer database. Further data were entered from clinical records. Data were extracted under three themes; demographic, diagnostic, clinical and wheelchair factors. RESULTS: Records of 28 men mean age 57 (range 37-78, SD 12) years and 63 women mean age 57 (range 35-81, SD 11) years with MS were reviewed a mean of 64 (range 0-131) months after receiving their wheelchair. Twenty two comorbidities, 11 features of MS and 8 features of disability were thought to influence wheelchair prescription. Fifteen users were provided with specialised seating and 46 with tilt-in-space seats. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that people with severe MS requiring an EPIOC benefit from a holistic assessment to identify problematic clinical features that influence the prescription of the EPIOC and further medical and therapeutic interventions. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: People with multiple sclerosis (MS), referred for an EPIOC, require a full clinical assessment to identify problematic clinical features that are potentially treatable and/or can be accommodated through specialised seating and tilt. The beneficial effects of TIS should be considered for all EPIOC users with MS and particularly for those with comorbidity Poorly controlled spasticity, when identified in people with MS, should be managed through positioning in the chair, pressure-relieving cushion and referral for medical management.

Orientação dos Prescritores do AE Tucuruvi quanto à Portaria 1535/06: critérios da prescrição para dispensação / Prescribers orientation of the AE Tucuruvi regarding Ordinance 1535/06 - Criteria for Prescription dispensing

Estratégia a fim de orientar os prescritores do Ambulatório de Especialidades do Tucuruvi (AE Tucuruvi) a prescreverem de acordo com a norma estabelecida pela PMSP (Prefeitura Municipal de São Paulo), uma vez que prescrições que não estão de acordo com a legislação vigente não podem ser atendidas nas farmácias pertencentes ao SUS, no município de São Paulo(AU)

Orientação dos Prescritores do AE Tucuruvi quanto à Portaria 1535/06: critérios da prescrição para dispensação

Estratégia a fim de orientar os prescritores do Ambulatório de Especialidades do Tucuruvi (AE Tucuruvi) a prescreverem de acordo com a norma estabelecida pela PMSP (Prefeitura Municipal de São Paulo), uma vez que prescrições que não estão de acordo com a legislação vigente não podem ser atendidas nas farmácias pertencentes ao SUS, no município de São Paulo

Rational use of medicines: prescribing indicators at different levels of health care

This multicenter study aimed to investigate prescribing patterns of drugs at different levels of health care delivery in university-affiliated outpatient clinics located in eight cities in the South and Midwest of Brazil. All prescriptions collected were analyzed for various items, including WHO prescribing indicators. A total of 2,411 prescriptions were analyzed, and 469 drugs were identified. The number of drugs prescribed per encounter, the frequency of polypharmacy, and the percentage of encounters with at least one injection or antibiotic prescribed were higher in centers providing primary health care services, compared to those where this type of care is not provided. Most drugs (86.1%) were prescribed by generic name. In centers with primary health care services, drug availability was higher, drugs included in the National and Municipal Lists of Essential Medicines were more frequently prescribed, and patients were given more instructions. However, warnings and non-pharmacological measures were less frequently recommended. This study reveals trends in drug prescribing at different levels of health care delivery in university-affiliated outpatient clinics and indicates possible areas for improvement in prescribing practices.

Este estudo multicêntrico teve como objetivo investigar o padrão de prescrição de medicamentos para pacientes ambulatoriais atendidos em serviços de saúde vinculados a universidades com diferentes níveis de atenção, em oito cidades do sul e centro-oeste do Brasil. As prescrições coletadas foram submetidas à análise de diversos itens, incluindo os indicadores de prescrição propostos pela OMS. No total, 2.411 prescrições foram analisadas e 469 medicamentos foram identificados. O número de medicamentos prescritos por consulta, a frequência de polifarmácia e a porcentagem de consultas com pelo menos um medicamento injetável ou um antimicrobiano prescrito foram maiores em centros de saúde que ofereciam cuidados de atenção básica, em comparação com aqueles que não dispunham desse tipo de atendimento. A maioria dos medicamentos foi prescrita pelo nome genérico (86,1%). Em unidades com cuidados de atenção básica, a acessibilidade foi maior, a prescrição de medicamentos presentes nas Listas Nacional e Municipais de Medicamentos Essenciais foi mais frequente e instruções foram fornecidas aos pacientes mais comumente. Entretanto, advertências e medidas não farmacológicas foram indicadas com menor frequência. Este estudo revela tendências de prescrição de medicamentos em serviços de saúde ligados a universidades, com diferentes níveis de atenção, e indica possíveis áreas de melhoria na prática da prescrição.