Search

Objective and methods: An interrupted time series analysis was performed to measure the impact of two policy interventions on the accessibility to new targeted oncologic drugs in Ecuador. The first intervention decentralized the selection process allowing drug and therapeutic committees (DTCs) to directly select new drugs. The second brought back the final decision to a central body but kept the first decision level in hospitals. Five‐year (2010–2014) individual dispensing data from the six largest Ecuadorian cancer hospitals were analysed. Monthly incidence rate of targeted oncologic drug users (per 1000 cancer patients) was defined as the unit of analysis. Level and slope changes after policy interventions were studied; P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Key findings: In public hospitals, incidence rate immediately dropped (level) after the first policy intervention (P < 0.05). The slope increased not significantly until the second policy. After the second intervention, the incidence level dropped, and the slope was negative (both not significant). In private hospitals, the incidence level dropped significantly after the first policy, followed by a significant slope increase. After the second intervention, the incidence level dropped, and the slope was negative (both significant). Conclusions: Transferring to DTCs the responsibility to select new drugs produced an increase in prescription intensity of targeted oncologic drugs, mainly in the private sector. The second intervention changed this trend. Combination of different levels of decision, meaning a DTC analysis plus a reanalysis by a central body, seems to limit new prescriptions of targeted oncologic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: In Ecuador, a new constitutional mandate (2008) allowed the government to implement free universal access to health care, including oncologic drugs. As most Latin American countries, Ecuadorian healthcare system is fragmented between public and private providers, posing a special challenge to collect valid drug utilization data. Data from the public and the private healthcare sectors were collected to examine the utilization of oncologic drugs in Ecuador over a 5‐year period (2010–2014). Methods: Oncologic drugs were extracted from individual dispensing data collected in the six largest Ecuadorian cancer hospitals. Drug utilization indicators include the yearly proportion of patients using selected therapeutic groups (targeted drugs, chemotherapy and hormonal drugs), and the mean and total expenditures, by healthcare sector. Key findings: Total number of patients ranged from 12 060 in 2010 to 12 769 in 2014. Median age was 56 years; 60.3% were women. Twenty‐three drugs were classified as targeted (monoclonal antibodies, protein kinase inhibitor, vismodegib, vorinostat and abiraterone), 43 as chemotherapy and 11 as hormonal. Patients using chemotherapy decreased from 56% to 52%. Proportion of patients using chemotherapy drugs was 30% lower in the public than in the private sector. Total expenditures on cancer drugs showed a constant increase from USD 17 912 865 in 2010 to USD 40 514 947 in 2014. Patients using targeted drugs doubled from 8% to 14% in 5 years. Targeted drugs accounted for 76% of total expenditures in 2014. Conclusion: Although only a small, but increasing proportion of patients used targeted drugs, it leads to a sharp rise in expenditures. In 2014, it represented three‐quarters of the total oncologic drugs expenditures. Differences in chemotherapy consumption between public and private sectors could reflect difficulties in public procurement, shortages and a faster, poorly controlled adoption of new drugs. If unmanaged, this is a possible threat to the health budget in the coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To develop a computerized assessment tool for monitoring the quality of prescribing in Belgian nursing homes. Design In a observational cross-sectional study of the medication charts of nursing home residents, potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) was investigated using three scoring systems for the elderly (Beers, ACOVE, BEDNURS) complemented with a list of drug–drug interactions. Setting A representative stratified sample of Belgian nursing homes (n = 76). Participants A random sample of nursing home residents with a complete data set (n = 1730) excluding palliative care patients. Main Outcome Measure A combination of PIM scores to assess inappropriate, under- and overprescribing. Results Included residents had a mean age of 85, 78% were female. They used a mean of 7.1 chronic medications. Most PIMs were detected by the application of the ACOVE criteria for underprescribing with 58% of patients having at least one PIM. Using the BEDNURS and the Beers criteria, at least one PIM was noticed in 56 and 27% of patients, respectively. Patients' characteristics showing a positive relationship with the PIM score were age, female gender, amount of clinical and nursing care problems, number of prescriptions and the use of psychotropic drugs (multiple regression analysis R2 = 0.332). Conclusions In Belgian nursing homes, the observed high level of drug utilization was associated with potentially inappropriate prescribing. The development of a combined assessment tool and the implementation of a computerized monitoring system of PIMs is highly recommended to improve the quality of prescribing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study is to discover how many nursing homes (NHs) in Flanders (Belgium) have policies on advance care planning (ACP) and their content regarding different medical end-of-life decisions. Methods: A structured mail questionnaire was sent to the NH administrators of all 594 NHs in Flanders (Belgium) at the end of 2006. The questionnaire asked about the existence, timing of implementation and content of ACP policy documents (guidelines and patient-specific planning forms), and on NH characteristics related to end-of-life care. Results: The response rate was 58.1%. The development of ACP policy documents began in 1989 with major increases in implementation taking place from 2000. In 2006, ACP policy documents were available in 95.1% of NHs. Most of these NHs had ACP guidelines as well as ACP patient-specific planning forms. Almost all patient-specific planning forms included anticipatory do-not-hospitalize (90.0%) and do-not-resuscitate decisions (83.2%). Anticipatory decisions about terminal sedation (29.2%) and euthanasia (19.7%) were mentioned less often and these decisions were not permitted to be made in all NHs. One out of three NHs had policies on the appointment of a patient's representative. Conclusion: By the end of 2006, almost all NHs in Flanders (Belgium) had an ACP policy. The implementation of ACP policies in Flemish NHs lagged behind other countries, but has developed rapidly since 2000. However, some NHs appear to ban some end-of-life options which are actually legal in Belgium. Further research is needed to investigate whether ACP policies have much impact on the quality of end-of-life care in NHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]