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Aim: The current study emphasizes the impact of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and Drug-Related Problems (DRPs) caused by supportive care medications administered with chemotherapy. Method: This is a longitudinal observational study carried out at the Ramaiah Medical College Hospital in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, at the Department of Oncology. The data was recorded using a specifically created data collecting form. Based on the PCNE (Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe), DRPs are identified. The WHO probability scale, Modified Hartwig and Siegel for ADR severity assessment, Naranjo's algorithm for causality assessment, Rawlins and Thompson for predictability assessment, and Modified Shumock and Thornton for preventability assessment were all utilized. The OncPal guideline was considered in terms of the precision of supportive care medications regarding the reduction of ADRs in cancer patients. Result: We enrolled 302 patients,166 (55%) female and 136 (45%) male (SD 14.378) (mean 49.97), patients with one comorbidity 59(19.6%) and multimorbidity (two or more) 45(14.9%), the DRPs identified were found to be 153 (50.6%); only P2 (safeties of drug therapy PCNE) were considered in this study. ADRs which are identified 175(57.9%) contributed/caused by the supportive care medications. WHO probability scale: 97 (32.1%) possible and 60 (19.9%) unlikely; Naranjo's algorithm: 97 (32.1%) unlikely and 69 (22.8%) possible; ADR severity assessment scale (Modified Hartwig and Siegel): 95 (31.5%) mild and 63 (20.9%) moderates; Rawlins and Thompson for determining predictability of an ADR: 33 (10.9%) predictable and 137 (45.5%) non-predictable; and Modified Shumock and Thornton for determining preventability of an ADR: 81 (26.8%) probably preventable and 90 (29.8%) non-preventable. The statistical comparison through preforming t-test and measuring Chi-Square between group with ADRs and without ADRs shows in some variables, significantly (Alcohol consumption status, P =.019) and Easter Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status P < 0.001. Conclusion: Comprehensive assessment of supportive medications in cancer patients would enhance the patient management and therapeutic outcome. The potential adverse drug reactions (ADRs) caused by supportive care medications can contribute to longer hospital stays and interact with the systemic anti-cancer treatment. The health care professionals should be informed to monitor the patients clinically administered with supportive medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medication burden and complexity have been longstanding problems in chronically ill patients. However, more data are needed on the extent and impact of medication burden and complexity in the transfusion-dependent thalassaemia population. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of medication complexity and polypharmacy and determine their relationship with drug-related problems (DRP) and control of iron overload in transfusion-dependent thalassaemia patients. Method: Data were derived from a cross-sectional observational study on characteristics of DRPs conducted at a Malaysian tertiary hospital. The medication regimen complexity index (MRCI) was determined using a validated tool, and polypharmacy was defined as the chronic use of five or more medications. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the optimal cut-off value for MRCI, and logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results: The study enrolled 200 adult patients. The MRCI cut-off point was proposed to be 17.5 (Area Under Curve = 0.722; sensitivity of 73.3% and specificity of 62.0%). Approximately 73% and 64.5% of the patients had polypharmacy and high MRCI, respectively. Findings indicated that DRP was a full mediator in the association between MRCI and iron overload. Conclusion: Transfusion-dependent thalassaemia patients have high MRCI and suboptimal control of iron overload conditions in the presence of DRPs. Thus, future interventions should consider MRCI and DRP as factors in serum iron control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of harms in healthcare related to drug treatment is often quantified using terms developed for pharmacovigilance and pharmaceutical care. In this overview, we guide through the definitions and the settings for which they were developed, with the underlying intention to facilitate the interpretation of hitherto available research intended to contribute information regarding the magnitude of the problem in healthcare and to provide guidance for future research. To start, the regulatory/academic definitions of an adverse drug reaction (ADR) and a drug-related problem (DRP) are considerably broader than a literal interpretation would suggest. ADRs are defined for the pharmacovigilance setting, and for drug safety reasons the opposite of the benefit of the doubt rules; if it cannot be excluded that the medication has caused or contributed to an event, it will be a suspected ADR. DRPs represent the pharmaceutical care setting where every aspect is included that could potentially be problematic; a manifested problem is not required. When quantifying the prevalence of harms related to drug treatment in the healthcare setting, however, it may not be considered reasonable to count every circumstance that could possibly be an ADR or everything that could potentially be problematic. Therefore, definitions developed for the pharmacovigilance and the pharmaceutical care settings are not fully applicable to estimate the magnitude of drug treatment problems in healthcare. Proposed guidance for the future includes cautious interpretation of research results, as well as a conscious choice of definitions according to purpose and tempered reporting in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The drug-related problem classification system of the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) is well established and continuously updated. A translated version of the drug-related problem classification system can facilitate research and implementation of clinical pharmacy services in the corresponding countries. Aim This study aimed to translate and validate the current version 9.00 into German language. Method The forward–backward translation method was used to translate the English version 9.00 into German language. Validation was done with 20 patient cases. Consistency was calculated in percentage and compared to international results. Results Translation of the classification system yielded in a German version. Validation was done with 32 pharmacists and 20 patient cases. In the five primary domains, average consistencies of 77.3% (problem), 57.8% (cause), 57.4% (intervention), 74.5% (acceptance) and 74.9% (status) were achieved. Ambiguities were found in some patient cases, as raters came to differing but plausible codes. Conclusions This study provides a German translation of the PCNE classification for drug related problems of approximately similar consistency as the international version. It hence can be considered to classify drug-related problems in German speaking countries. Patient cases need to be more specific in future validations, feasibility and layout of the classification system need to improve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Generic drug exchange is common practice in most healthcare systems. While generics certainly contribute to economic savings, the altered drug formulation might be associated with potential therapeutic problems. Given the narrow therapeutic windows in neurologic indications, any detrimental effect on the therapy can lead to significant consequences. Aim of the review This review aims to investigate potential problems related to a switch from brand-name to generic or from generic to generic drug products in patients with neurologic diseases. Method The review was conducted following the PICO framework and the PRISMA guidelines. MEDLINE and Scopus databases were searched for articles published in English and German language between January 1, 1995 and October 17, 2018. Studies included in this review were randomized controlled studies, reviews, systematic reviews, overviews, cohort studies and case-control studies. Studies excluded were letters, comments, authors view, congress or seminar papers and studies with a focus on economic impact or costs. Results were synthesized qualitatively. The primary outcomes were pharmacokinetic parameters such as the area under the curve (AUC), the peak serum concentration (cmax) or the time at which cmax is observed (tmax). Results The search identified 67 studies with a great variety of endpoints and study designs. The leading indication was epilepsy. Two small RCTs were found on lamotrigine switch. Analysis of the other studies found no significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters when switching to generic drugs. A more heterogeneous picture was revealed regarding hospitalizations, breakthrough seizures, failure of therapy, adherence and patient concerns. Conclusion While most reports were of poor quality, lamotrigine was the drug with the best available data. Summarizing the results of the available studies, pharmacokinetic parameters of antiepileptic drugs show low deviation. In contrast, data on clinical parameters are less consistent. Some studies found increased seizure frequencies and adverse-drug events, while others showed no complications. Adherence and patient satisfaction seemed to be impaired. In daily practice, generic exchange in epilepsy should be a carefully balanced decision, conducted with great caution. Further research is needed, especially regarding neurologic indications other than epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to systematically review studies describing screening tools that assess the risk for drug-related problems (DRPs) in older adults (≥ 60 years). The focus of the review is to compare DRP risks listed in different tools and describe their development methods and validation. Methods: The systematic search was conducted using evidence-based medicine, Medline Ovid, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from January 1, 1985, to April 7, 2016. Publications describing general DRP risk assessment tools for older adults written in English were included. Disease, therapy, and drug-specific tools were excluded. Outcome measures included an assessment tool's content, development methods, and validation assessment. Results: The search produced 15 publications describing 11 DRP risk assessment tools. Three major categories of risks for DRPs included (1) patient or caregiver related risks; (2) pharmacotherapy-related risks; and (3) medication use process-related risks. Of all the risks included in the tools only 8 criteria appeared in at least 4 of the tools, problems remembering to take the medication being the most common (n=7). Validation assessments varied and content validation was the most commonly conducted (n = 9). Reliability assessment was conducted for 6 tools, most commonly by calculating internal consistency (n = 3) and inter-rater reliability (n = 2). Conclusions: The considerable variety between the contents of the tools indicates that there is no consensus on the risk factors for DRPs that should be screened in older adults taking multiple medicines. Further research is needed to improve the accuracy and timeliness of the DRP risk assessment tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Data are lacking about the extent of drug-related problems in hospitalized patients with COPD in China. Objective Identify types and causes of drug-related problems and assess interventions performed by pharmacists. Setting Study was conducted in an academic teaching hospital in Shanghai, China. Method Between June 2017 and July 2018, 393 patients admitted to hospital for acute exacerbation of COPD hospitalized were enrolled. Patient demographics and clinical characteristics were collected. The drug-related problems and interventions were recorded and analyzed based on the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE)-DRP V 8.02 classification. Main outcome measures The number, types, causes, interventions, and outcomes of the problems were analyzed. Results A total of 640 DRPs, with 763 corresponding causes, were identified for 393 patients. "Treatment safety P2" was the most common type of problem (54.2%; 347/640), and the most common causes were "drug selection C1" (24.2%; 185/763), "dose selection C3" (21.5%; 164/763) and "treatment duration C4" (17.7%; 135/763). Antibiotics, corticosteroids, and proton pump inhibitors were the three primary medication classes associated with DRPs. Patients, hospitalized for more than eight days, taking ten or more drugs or having renal dysfunctions were more likely to have drug-related problems. Pharmacists totally proposed 1557 interventions to address the problems. Most interventions (91.0%; 1418/1557) were accepted, and 91.6% of the problems were solved. Conclusion The prevalence of drug-related problems among the studied COPD patients was high. Pharmacists can have an important role in addressing the problems and optimizing the safety and effectiveness of therapies for hospitalized COPD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Drug-related problems (DRPs) endanger geriatric patients' safety. Especially a follow-up treatment with increased number of care transitions is a critical time for patients. Objective This study aimed at optimising medication therapy and the transfer of medication-related information to ambulatory care in geriatric rehabilitation patients. Setting German geriatric rehabilitation centre (GRC). Method A prospective, controlled intervention study was performed. Patients in the control group (CG) received standard care, those in the intervention group (IG) an additional dual pharmaceutical intervention: (i) medication review to optimise in-hospital medication and (ii) improvement of discharge letters for optimising transfer of medication-related information. Main outcome measure (i) Number of patients with at least one DRP at discharge and (ii) predefined quality criteria for the discharge letters. Results 150 patients were enrolled in CG and 163 in IG. (i) At discharge, 126 (84%) patients in the CG were affected by at least one DRP. In the IG, the number of affected patients decreased to 64 (39%, P < 0.05). (ii) In comparison to discharge letters in the CG, predefined quality criteria were improved in the IG. Following differences were measured (CG vs. IG, each P < 0.05): active ingredient indicated (60 vs. 99%), brand name indicated (60 vs. 96%), explanation of medication changes (47 vs. 68%), visualisation of explanations next to the discharge medication (26 vs. 91%) and recommended therapy duration for short-term medications (49 vs. 84%). Conclusion DRPs and incomplete discharge letters affected many patients. The dual intervention improved in-hospital medication therapy and optimised the transfer of medication-related information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Network analysis was conducted to systematically analyze the relationship between causative drugs and types of drug-related problems (DRPs) in hospitalized patients with hematologic malignancies.Methods: A total of 1187 DRPs identified in hematology wards between 2013 and 2015 were analyzed. DRPs were classified into 11 sub-domains for problems and 35 sub-domains for causes according to Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe classification. Causative drugs were classified by Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical code. Network analytic tool was used to represent the relationship between drugs, causes, and problems. In-degree centrality (CD-in) was calculated to identify major causes of DRPs.Results: The following drugs accounted for more than 5% of DRP, including antibacterials (J01, 26.5%), drugs for acid-related disorders (A02, 11.5%), antiemetics (A04, 9.7%), antifungals (J02, 8.8%), and antineoplastic agents (L01, 7.0%). Inappropriate combinations (C1.3, CD-in of 161) of drugs for acid-related disorders, antifungals, and antineoplastic agents were major causes of DRPs and induced non-optimal effects of drug treatment (P1.2). Inappropriate dose adjustments (C3.6, CD-in of 151) of antibacterials lowered effects (P1.2) and increased side effects (P2.1). Missing necessary synergistic or preventive drugs, especially antiemetics, (C1.8, CD-in of 54) resulted in untreated indication (P1.4).Conclusions: DRPs were mainly related to medications for supportive care. More attention should be paid to interactions of drugs used for acid-related disorders, dose adjustment of antibacterials, and omission of antiemetics in hospitalized patients with hematologic malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background While dispensing prescribed medicines, pharmacists frequently encounter technical and clinical problems that require a pharmaceutical intervention. Objective To describe the pharmaceutical interventions performed by community pharmacists while dispensing prescribed medicines and to investigate, in-depth, the patient-reported problems with the prescribed medicines that triggered pharmaceutical interventions. Method Twenty-one pharmacists each collected 30 prescriptions requiring a pharmaceutical intervention on five selected days within a five-week period. All pharmaceutical interventions were classified using the PharmDISC system. Results Of all 430 pharmaceutical interventions, 286 (66.5%) pharmaceutical interventions had a clinical cause and 144 (33.5%) pharmaceutical interventions a technical cause. Pharmacists mainly intervened to substitute a drug (n = 132, 30.7%), adjust a dose (n = 57, 13.3%), and clarify/complete information (n = 48, 11.2%). A total of 243 (56.5%) pharmaceutical interventions resulted in a change of the prescription. The implementation rate of pharmaceutical interventions reached 88.6%. Altogether, patient-reported problems triggered 99 (23.0%) pharmaceutical interventions. In 15 (15.2%) of these PIs, contact with the prescriber was necessary, whereas 61 (84.8%) PIs only involved the pharmacist. Conclusion While dispensing prescribed medicines, pharmacists performed individualised pharmaceutical interventions to solve or prevent drug-related problems. That almost a quarter of all pharmaceutical interventions triggered by patient-reported problems highlights the importance of direct patient-pharmacist interaction when dispensing prescribed medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Drug-related problems (DRPs) interfere with patient optimal therapeutic outcomes and may be associated with higher morbidity, mortality and healthcare expenditures. Objective This study aimed to identify DRPs and their causes in a Turkish hospital. Setting Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Teaching and Research Hospital, Internal Medicine Ward, Istanbul, Turkey. Method Cross-sectional study included a total of 100 patients. Patient demographics, medications, and history were evaluated. Data regarding recent medications were analyzed by two clinical pharmacists and an Internal Medicine physician. The DRPs were identified via V7.0 PCNE classification. Lexicomp® was used to assess the drug-drug interactions. UpToDate® recommendations and national guidelines were applied in the assessment of compliance with approved medication procedures. Main outcome measures Number and causes of the potential DRPs. Results At least one potential DRP was seen in 80% of the patients and 163 potential DRPs were identified (average = 1.6 DRPs/patient). The most common causes of DRPs were errors in drug selection (44.78%), dose selection (27.61%) and medication procedures (21.47%). There were significant correlations (p < 0.05) between DRPs and age (r = 0.4), number of drugs used (r = 0.32), duration of hospitalization (r = 0.25), renal impairment (r = - 0.34) and inflammation (r = 0.31). Conclusion The majority of the patients had DRPs. Patients with renal impairment, inflammation, polypharmacy or an extended hospital stay had a much higher chance of developing DRPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Medication reviews intended to identify drug-related problems (DRPs) have been researched in primary care, acute care and nursing homes rather than in long-term care hospitals (LTCHs). Objectives To assess the clinical impact of an interdisciplinary pharmacotherapy quality improvement and patient safety program in elderly patients with polypharmacy admitted to an LTCH. Setting An interventional, longitudinal, prospective study was conducted in a Spanish LTCH Method A total of 162 elderly (≥ 70 years) patients with polypharmacy (≥ 5 medications) were included. Pharmacist conducted the pharmacotherapy follow-up of patients (reconciliation, pharmacotherapeutic optimization, educational interviews) from admission to discharge. Demographic, clinical and treatment-related variables were recorded. Main outcome measured Clinical impact of the program by DRP-based effectiveness and drug-related morbidity (DRM)-based safety indicators. Results 895 DRPs (median of 5 (1-23)) were identified in 153 (94.4%) patients. The most common DRPs were unnecessary drug (25.3%), dosage too high (24.9%) and a need for additional drug (24.8%). The most frequent pharmacotherapy recommendations were individualizing the dosage regimen (29.6%) and stopping (27.3%) or starting (21.9%) a drug. The mean implementation rate of pharmacotherapy recommendations was 90.9%. The effectiveness indicator revealed a 94.9% of prevented or resolved DRPs. The safety indicator showed an 89.3% of prevented or resolved DRM. Therefore, the program prevented or resolved 92.5% of adverse effects and 91.7% of suboptimal responses or therapeutic failures. Conclusion This interdisciplinary patient safety program seems to be a valuable approach to identify, prevent and resolve the high number of DRPs and potential DRM that elderly patients with polypharmacy admitted to an LTCH present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background A standardised classification system of pharmaceutical interventions (PI) is in use in several Swiss hospitals, whereas none exists for community pharmacies to date. To promote information exchange between both settings, a compatible structure of the classification system is needed. Objective To develop an intervention oriented classification system for community pharmacies named PharmDISC based on the hospital system; to test it on interrater reliability, appropriateness, interpretability, and face and content validity; to assess pharmacists' opinions. Setting Seventy-seven Swiss community pharmacies. Method Based on previous studies, a modified classification system was developed. Fifth-year pharmacy students (n = 77) received a two-hour training and classified three model PIs with which Fleiss-Kappa coefficients K were calculated to determine interrater reliability. In the community pharmacies, each student consecutively collected ten prescriptions that required a PI. A focus group interview was conducted with pharmacists (n = 9). The anonymised transcript was analysed using thematic analysis. Main outcome measure Number of classified PIs, interrater reliability, pharmacists' opinion/suggestions. Results The classification system includes 5 categories and 52 subcategories. Most of the 725 PIs (94.6%) were completely classified. The PharmDISC system reached an overall substantial user agreement (K = 0.61). Despite some points for optimisation, the pharmacists were satisfied with the PharmDISC system. They recognised the importance of PI documentation and believed that this may allow traceability, facilitate communication within the team and other healthcare professionals, and increase quality of care. Conclusion The PharmDISC system was valid and reached substantial interrater reliability. Refinement based on the pharmacists' suggestions resulted in a final version to be tested in an observational study with community pharmacists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) present with severe and life-threatening illnesses. Most of them suffer from various comorbidities. They usually receive complex pharmacotherapy with large number of medicines which increase the risk of drug-drug interactions (DDIs). Objective The present report aimed to investigate prevalence and levels of potential DDIs (pDDIs) in medical ICU. Methods Medications profiles of 416 patients were checked for pDDIs using Micromedex Drug-Reax(®). Prevalence, levels of severity and levels of documentation were reported. Results Of total 416 patients, 310 were exposed to pDDIs (overall prevalence = 74.5 %). Likewise, a prevalence rate of 13.9 % was recorded for contraindicated pDDIs, 52.2 % for major pDDI and 58.4 % for moderate pDDI. This study reported 740 interacting drug pairs that were presented in total 1686 pDDIs. Of 1686 pDDIs, 4.3 % were of contraindicated severity, 33.8 % of major severity and 49.6 % of moderate severity, whereas 45.5 % were of fair scientific evidence and 41.4 % of good scientific evidence. Conclusion In this study, pDDIs were found highly prevalent in ICU patients at a rate of 74.5 %. Most of the pDDIs had moderate severity; however, substantial number of interactions (38.1 %) had major and contraindicated severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare impact of incident diabetes on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk among postmenopausal women according to statin use. Prospective data from 120,499 postmenopausal women without prevalent diabetes or cardiovascular disease at baseline from the Women's Health Initiative were used. Incident diabetes was self-reported annually and defined as treatment with pills or injectable medication for diabetes. Current statin use was determined at enrollment and years 1, 3, 6, 9 and 13.5 in the three clinical trial arms, and at baseline, year 3, and 13.5 for the observational study. The primary outcome was incident ASCVD events, self-reported annually and adjudicated by blinded local and central physicians. Incident diabetes and statin use status were fitted as time-varying covariates in Cox regression models to assess ASCVD risk during an average follow-up of 13.6 years. For those not on statins at the time of diabetes diagnosis, there was a 42 % increased risk of ASCVD [hazard ratio (HR) 1.42, 95 % CI 1.28-1.58] among women with incident diabetes versus those without diabetes. Among women on statins, there was a 39 % increased risk of ASCVD (HR 1.39, 95 % CI 1.12-1.74) in women with incident diabetes versus those without diabetes. The increased ASCVD risk due to diabetes was similar between women before or after initiating statins ( P = 0.89). Whether diabetes was diagnosed before or after statin use did not alter the increased risk of ASCVD associated with diabetes. Mitigating the increased incidence of diabetes in statin users could increase the ASCVD benefit-to-risk ratio of statins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One way of preventing and solving drug-related problems in frail elderly is to perform team-based medication reviews.Objective: To evaluate the quality of the clinical pharmacy service to primary care using structured medication reviews, focusing on the clinical significance of the recommendations made by clinical pharmacists.Setting: A random sample of 150 patients (out of 1541) who received structured team based medication reviews. The patients lived at a geriatric nursing home or were ≥65 years and lived in ordinary housing with medication-related community help.Method: Based on information on symptoms, kidney function, blood pressure, diagnoses and the medication list, a pharmacist identified possible drug-related problems and supplied recommendations for the general practitioner to act on. Two independent physicians retrospectively ranked the clinical significance of the recommendations according to Hatoum, with rankings ranging between 1 (adverse significance) and 6 (extremely significant). Main outcome measure The clinical significance of the recommendations. Results In total 349 drug-related problems were identified, leading to recommendations. The vast majority of the recommendations (96 %) were judged to have significance 3 or higher and more than the half were judged to have significance 4 or higher.Conclusion: The high proportion of clinically significant recommendations provided by pharmacists when performing team-based medication reviews suggest that these clinical pharmacy services have potential to increase prescribing quality. As such, the medication reviews have the potential for contributing to a better and safer drug therapy for elderly patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Renal impairment often goes unrecognised until the most advanced stages. Patients with renal impairment use a variety of drugs and the pharmacokinetics and drug effects are prone to change.Objective: Describe drug related problems in a population of patients with renal impairment, investigate possible risk factors, and investigate whether the clinical pharmacist can propose relevant measures to solve the problems.Setting: The internal medicine department at Innlandet Hospital Trust Gjøvik, Norway.Method: A prospective study enrolling patients (≥18 years) with moderate and severe renal impairment, i.e. with glomerular filtration rate of 30-59 and 15-29 ml/min/1.73 m(2), respectively, and using at least one drug. The clinical pharmacist reviewed the patients' drug regimen with focus on drug related problems, related to renal function. Problems identified were discussed with the multidisciplinary team, or directly with the physician.Main Outcome Measure: The number of drug related problems.Results: The results are based on data from 79 patients, 21 with severe and 58 with moderate renal impairment. Most patients, 92.4 %, used 5 or more drugs; in average 10.2 (range 2-27). In total, 88 drug related problems were identified in 49 patients, i.e. in 62 %. The most frequently occurring problems were incorrect dose (45.5 %) and inappropriate drug (41.0 %). There was a significant correlation between both the degree of renal impairment and the number of drugs, and the number of drug related problems. The acceptance rate of the clinical pharmacist's interventions was 95.7 %. The drugs most frequently associated with drug related problems were metformin, benzylpenicillin and furosemide.Conclusion: Drug related problems often occur in patients with renal impairment. Incorrect drug dose and inappropriate drug choice according to the patients' renal function were the most common problems. Patients with the most complex drug treatment, i.e. with increasing degree of renal impairment and increasing number of drugs, are at greater risk of drug related problems. The high acceptance rate for the pharmacist's interventions supports the inclusion of a clinical pharmacist in the multidisciplinary treatment team to increase awareness and optimisation of the drug treatment in this patient group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In France, community pharmacists do not have free access to patients' lab results, and it is therefore impossible for them to identify patients with renal impairment.Objective: (1) to evaluate the ability of community pharmacists (CPs) to identify drug related problems (DRP) in patients at risk for or suffering from renal impairment; (2) to evaluate the proportions of recommendations by CPs that lead to a modification by GP.Setting: A prospective and observational study involving 24 community pharmacists in France.Methods: Following special training, community pharmacists were asked to select 52 patients with the following characteristics: ≥65 years of age; prescribed at least two diabetic and/or antihypertensive drugs. Serum creatinine value was obtained for each patient and glomerular filtration rate estimated (eGFR) with the aMDRD formula. Those with a eGFR 60 ml/min/1.73 m² were considered having chronic kidney disease (CKD). Data was collected concerning whether the community pharmacists identified drug related problems and tried to inform the GP who prescribed the medications. Identified DRP were reviewed by a team of nephrologists and hospital clinical pharmacists.Primary Outcome: The proportion of CKD patients and those without serum creatinine monitoring, the number of drug related problems identified by community pharmacists, and the proportion of drug related problems resolved by the community pharmacists intervention to the GP.Results: Of the total 791 patients identified, 180 (22.8 %) exhibited CKD, and 57 (7.2 %) had not undergone serum creatinine monitoring. Among the 1297 drugs prescribed, 260 had to be adapted to eGFR. The proportion of DRP was 21.5 % (56/260), of which 40 % (20) were identified by community pharmacists. Once the GP was informed, 33.3 % (6/18) of DRP were resolved.Conclusion: Community pharmacists identified 40 % of DRP related to CKD prescriptions, leading to prescription modification by GPs in a third of the cases. These interventions are likely to decrease drug-related morbidity and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In 2010, a database of drug related problems (DRPs) was implemented to assist clinical pharmacy staff in documenting clinical pharmacy activities locally. A study of quality, reliability and generalisability showed that national analyses of the data could be conducted. Analyses at the national level may help identify and prevent DRPs by performing national interventions. Objective The aim of the study was to explore the DRP characteristics as documented by clinical pharmacy staff at hospital pharmacies in the Danish DRP-database during a 3-year period. Setting Danish hospital pharmacies. Method Data documented in the DRP-database during the initial 3 years after implementation were analyzed retrospectively. The DRP-database contains DRPs reported at hospitals by clinical pharmacy staff. The analyses focused on DRP categories, implementation rates and drugs associated with the DRPs. Main outcome measure Characteristics of DRPs. Results In total, 72,044 DRPs were documented in the DRP-database during the first 3 years of implementation, and the number of documented DRPs increased every year. An overall stable implementation rate of approximately 58 % was identified. The DRPs identified were multi-facetted, however evenly distributed for each of the 3 years. The most frequently identified DRP categories were: 'Dose', followed by 'Nonadherence to guidelines' and 'Supplement to treatment'. The highest implementation rates were found for the following DRP categories: 'Non-adherence to guidelines' (79 %) followed by 'Therapeutic duplication' (73 %) and 'Dosing time and interval' (70 %). Even though the top 25 drugs were involved in 58 % of all DRPs, multiple drugs were associated with DRPs. The drugs most frequently involved in DRPs were paracetamol (4.6 % of all DRPs), simvastatin (3.0 %), lansoprazole (2.7 %), morphine (2.6 %) and alendronic acid (2.4 %). Conclusions The study found that a national database on DRPs contained multi-facetted DRPs, however evenly distributed for each of the 3 years. Even though the top 25 drugs were involved in 58 % of all DRPs, multiple drugs were associated with DRPs. The study emphasizes the importance of detecting and intervening for DRPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Introduction of the monoclonal antibody rituximab to chemotherapy regimens has substantially improved disease-free and overall survival in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). The short-term safety of this drug has been widely reported, but there are few data on long-term safety, which suggests that these patients require prolonged follow-up. Aim of the review To review the literature on follow-up models, with a focus on the safety of rituximab therapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. Method The Cochrane Library, Embassy, Lilacs, Medline, and Scirus databases were searched for systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials. Furthermore, textbooks and journals on pharmaceutical care and institutional websites were searched for patient management recommendations. The outcomes were follow-up models and grade 3, 4, and 5 adverse reactions. Results Five systematic reviews and eight clinical trials or updates describing patient follow-up or reporting adverse reactions were identified. Only one systematic review and seven clinical trials reported follow-up routines for patients receiving rituximab, including information on staging, frequency of reassessment, and laboratory tests, as well as pre-infusion care and management of acute or delayed adverse reactions. Five systematic reviews and four clinical trials reported data on statistically significant adverse reactions (fever, leukopenia, infection). Four guidelines or institutional protocols for treatment and follow-up were identified, as well as seven studies describing experiences in the implementation of pharmaceutical care for oncology patients, but none were specifically focused on follow-up of patients receiving rituximab for NHL. Conclusion Although some systematic reviews and clinical trials contain guidance on follow-up of patients receiving rituximab for NHL, there are no validated strategies for systematic follow-up of these patients with a focus on safety. As there are few data on long-term safety profile of these novel treatments, monitoring strategies should be developed and implemented to ensure safe and optimized use of drugs recently added to the therapeutic arsenal of clinical oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the impact of a new model of care, in which a clinical pharmacist conducts structured medication reviews and a multi-professional team collates systematic medication care plans, on the number of unidentified DRPs in a hospital setting. Methods: In a prospective two-period study, patients admitted to an internal medicine ward at the University Hospital of Lund, Sweden, were included if they were ≥ 65 years old, used ≥ 3 medications on a regular basis and had stayed on the ward for ≥ 5 weekdays. Intervention patients were given the new model of care and control patients received conventional care. DRPs were then retrospectively identified after study completion from blinded patient records for both intervention and control patients. Two pairs of evaluators independently evaluated and classified these DRPs as having been identified/unidentified during the hospital stay and according to type and clinical significance. The primary endpoint was the number of unidentified DRPs, and the secondary endpoints were the numbers of unidentified DRPs within each type and clinical significance category. Results: The study included a total of 141 (70 intervention and 71 control) patients. The intervention group benefited from a reduction in the total number of unidentified DRPs per patient during the hospital stay: intervention group median 1 (1st-3rd quartile 0-2), control group 9 (6-13.5) (p < 0.001), and also in the number of medications associated with unidentified DRPs per patient: intervention group 1 (0-2), control group 8 (5-10) (p < 0.001). All sub-categories of DRPs that were frequent in the control group were significantly reduced in the intervention group. Similarly, the DRPs were less clinically significant in the intervention group. Conclusions: A multi-professional team, including a clinical pharmacist, conducting structured medication reviews and collating systematic medication care plans proved very effective in reducing the number of unidentified DRPs for elderly in-patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug therapies in the management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are complex and specialised and have a high potential for drug-related problem (DRP). In adult CKD populations, the identification and resolution of DRP has been shown to have beneficial effects on disease management, adherence and knowledge of treatment, patient's quality of life, hospitalisation rate and length of stay and cost to the healthcare system. The focus of this article is the review of published studies on DRP in children with CKD. There is a lack of information on the epidemiology of DRP in this patient group, and research in this area is therefore needed to better understand and manage DRP in children with CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Drug-related problems (DRPs) have been found to be associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and health costs. Objective To investigate whether the inclusion of pharmacists in a rehabilitation team influences the handling of DRPs in the ward and whether an intervention in hospital affects drug use after discharge. Setting The rehabilitation ward of a general hospital in Oslo, Norway. Methods Patients were randomized into an intervention group (IG) or a usual care group (CG). The IG patients were followed prospectively by a pharmacist, who reviewed the patients' drug therapies using information from their medical records and patient interviews. The pharmacist identified DRPs and suggested solutions during multidisciplinary team meetings. The IG patients received targeted drug counselling from the pharmacist before discharge. The drug therapy in the CG, for the period from study randomization to discharge, was assessed retrospectively by the pharmacist, who identified DRPs and recorded how they were acted upon. Three months after discharge, pharmacists who were blinded to the patient randomization, visited the patients at home and interviewed them about their medication. Main outcome measures: Types and frequencies of DRPs in the IG and CG were compared at hospital admission, at discharge, and 3 months after discharge. Results Of the 77 patients included, 40 belonged to the IG and 37 to the CG. Patient characteristics (IG vs CG) were as follows: age 73.5 versus 76.8 years; female 58 versus 68%; mean number of drugs at admission 8.3 versus 7.8; and mean number of drugs at discharge 8.5 versus 7.7. At admission, 4.4 DRPs per patient were recorded in the IG and 4.2 in the CG. Significantly more DRPs were acted upon and resolved in the IG; at discharge, the IG had 1.2 DRPs per patient and the CG had 4.0 ( P < 0.01). At the home visit, a significant difference between the groups was found: 1.63 versus 2.62 DRPs ( P = 0.02) for the IG and the CG, respectively. Conclusion Involvement of a pharmacist in drug-therapy management, including participation in multidisciplinary team discussions, markedly improved the identification and resolution of DRPs during a hospital stay. The benefit persisted after discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts of papers presented at the 39th European Society of Clinical Pharmacy (ESCP) European Symposium on Clinical Pharmacy and the 3th Société Française de Pharmacie Clinique (SFPC) Congress: Clinical Pharmacy at the Front Line of Innovations in Lyon, France, including "Hallucinations Due to Therapeutic Doses of Ertapenem," "Carboplatin Dosage in Overweight Patient: Case Report" and "Severe Hypokalemia Associated With Flucloxacillin."

Several drug-related problem classification systems can be found in the literature. However, it is generally agreed that a comprehensive, well constructed and validated instrument is currently lacking. The aim of this study is the development and validation of a comprehensive treatment-related problems assessment and classification tool for use in teaching, practicing and researching pharmaceutical care and to improve identification, resolving and preventing of treatment-related problems. The development and validation involved five steps starting with literature search to define a treatment related problem and also to form a database of treatment-related problems identified in the literature. In the next step, all problems that were identified in the first step and passed the evaluation of the three authors were pooled together and then divided into groups according to their common or shared construct, in the third step a suitable assessment method was developed according to the construct of the different problems, in the next step the developed instrument was validated for content, internal and external validity. Finally the tool was finalized and tested for reproducibility and inter-rater agreement. The final validated version included six main categories for treatment-related problems (Indication, Effectiveness, Safety, Knowledge, Adherence and Miscellaneous). These categories include a total of nine subcategories and a total of 29 treatment related problems. The treatment-related problems assessment and classification tool introduced in this paper was applied to actual patient cases and proved to be valid. This tool also has several features that are new. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate pharmacist contribution in the therapeutic hospital team by studying drug-related problems (DRPs), pharmacist therapy advice and consequences of the advice. From May to December 2002, 827 patients in five Norwegian hospitals were included in the study. Demographic data, drugs used, relevant medical history, laboratory data and clinical/pharmacological risk factors were recorded prospectively at the wards. DRPs, patients characteristics, pharmacist advice to physicians, nurses or patients, response to the pharmacist advice, and reasons (stated by the pharmacist) for not discussing an identified DRP, were reported. An independent quality assessment team retrospectively assessed the DRPs for a randomly selected number of the study population. On average 2.6 DRPs per patient were found. A total of 2128 DRPs were registered and of these 1583 (74%) DRPs were brought up for discussion. Physician immediate acceptance rates varied from 80% (for extremely important clinically signififcant DRPs) to 50% (for DRPs of minor clinical significance). High age, use of many drugs at admission, existence of many DRPs and many clinical/pharmacological risk factors for DRPs were associated with low immediate acceptance rate. Type of DRP influenced how the DRP was discussed; adverse drug reaction (ADR) and unnecessary drug were discussed with physicians while e.g. medical chart error and need for patient education were discussed with nurses/patients. Reasons for not discussing DRPs in the team were: not given priority (37%), no longer relevant (31%) and others (31%). DRPs of minor clinical significance were most often excluded from discussion (37%) as opposed to 14% and 22% of those of moderate and major clinical significance. The majority of patients had one or more DRPs. The problems identified as DRPs by the pharmacists were accepted as such by the physicians and to a high degree acted upon. Both clinical significance of the DRP and patient characteristics influenced physician immediate acceptance rate. Some DRPs could be solved by direct contact with nurses or the patients. Awareness of DRPs increases through participation of pharmacists in the multidisciplinary therapeutic hospital team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]