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Background: Irrational pharmacotherapy and increasing pharmacy costs remain major concerns in healthcare systems. Pharmacists are expected to employ diagnosis-related group (DRG) data to analyse inpatient pharmacy utilization., Objective: This project aimed to pilot an efficient pharmacist-led programme to analyse factors related to pharmacy expenses, evaluate the rational use of drugs in batch processing, and make further interventions based on DRG data., Methods: Patients from the OB25 (caesarean section without comorbidities or complications) DRG were selected in 2018, and the most relevant factors were identified through statistical analysis. Interventions were implemented by sending monthly reports on prescribing data and drug review results for the same DRGs to the department starting in 2019. Pre-post comparisons were conducted to demonstrate changes in pharmacy costs and appropriateness at a tertiary teaching hospital with 2,300 beds in China., Results: A total of 1,110 patients were identified from the OB25 DRG data in 2018. Multivariate linear analysis indicated that the number of items prescribed and wards substantially influenced pharmacy expenditure. Drugs labelled as vital, essential, and non-essential revealed that 46.6% of total pharmacy costs were spent on non-essential drugs, whereas 38.7% were spent on vital drugs. The use of inappropriate pharmaceuticals and drug items was substantially reduced, and the average pharmacy cost after intervention was 336.7 RMB in 2020. The benefit-cost ratio of the programme was 9.86., Conclusion: Interventions based on DRG data are highly efficient and feasible for reducing inpatient pharmacy costs and non-essential drug use.

Summary: Assessment procedures for adherence to a guideline must be reliable and credible. The aim of this study was to explore the reliability of assessment of adherence, taking account of the professional backgrounds of the observers. A secondary analysis explored the impact of case characteristics on assessment. Six observers (two hospital pharmacists, two internists and two clinical microbiologists) assessed a random sample of 22 prescriptions made to infectious disease cases admitted to a department of internal medicine between February and August 2001. Agreement between observers with regard to adherence of these prescriptions to guideline recommendations concerning drug choice, duration of treatment, dosage and route of administration was measured using Cohen''s kappa. Case characteristics were compared between cases where observers agreed and disagreed with two-sided Fisher''s exact test. Agreement between all professionals was moderate for drug choice (0.59), fair for duration of therapy (0.36), moderate for dosage (0.48), and fair for route of administration (0.37). Agreement on drug choice was good within (0.75 and 0.83) and between (0.74) the internists and the hospital pharmacists, but was less within (0.31) the clinical microbiologists and between the clinical microbiologists and the internists (0.44) and the hospital pharmacists (0.42). Within the clinical microbiologists, agreement was good for dosage (0.79) and route of administration (0.66). There was frequent disagreement between observers regarding cases with combination therapy and non-immunocompromised patients. Despite the small number of cases, our results suggest that internists and hospital pharmacists can reliably be used to assess adherence for drug choice. The level of agreement seems to be affected by combination therapy and the immune status of the patient. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: Cancer drug therapy costs continue to rise and threaten the sustainability of Canada's public healthcare system. Previous studies have calculated potential savings utilizing different dosing regimens of cancer treatments. Our objectives were to determine the financial impact of drug wastage and to explore cost-effective dosing regimens for pembrolizumab., Methods: This was a retrospective study reviewing data for non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma patients at all six BC Cancer Regional Centres during fiscal years 2017 and 2018. Pembrolizumab waste amounts recorded in pharmacy wastage logs were totalled. Estimates of the number of vials used were compared between vial sharing and non-vial sharing practices to determine the cost differences. Costs for dosing regimens used during fiscal years 2017 and 2018 were compared to 2 mg/kg weight-based dosing (to a maximum of 200 mg), 2 mg/kg dosing rounding down within 5% and 10%, and flat dosing of 200 mg., Results: There were a total of 202 non-small cell lung cancer and 182 melanoma patients with 2948 doses dispensed. Documented wastage was valued at $1,829,047.44 (8.65%) and across all six centres, vial sharing could reduce costs by $3,207,600.00 using the 100 mg vials. Compared to fiscal years 2017 and 2018, 2 mg/kg dosing (to a maximum of 200 mg) was the most cost-effective, decreasing costs by $222,719.20; flat dosing of 200 mg was the most expensive, increasing costs by $6,625,260.40., Conclusions: Having smaller vial sizes, practicing vial sharing, and using weight-based dosing all improve cost savings. Further investigations on the allocation of resources to optimize drug use and minimize wastage are needed.

Background & Aims: High HCV treatment uptake among people at most risk of transmission is essential to achieve elimination. We aimed to characterise subpopulations of people with HCV based on drug dependence, to estimate direct-acting antiviral (DAA) uptake in an unrestricted treatment era, and to evaluate factors associated with treatment uptake among people with recent drug dependence., Methods: HCV notifications in New South Wales, Australia (1995-2017) were linked to opioid agonist therapy (OAT), hospitalisations, incarcerations, HIV notifications, deaths, and prescription databases. Drug dependence was defined as hospitalisation due to injectable drugs or receipt of OAT, with indicators in 2016-2018 considered recent. Records were weighted to account for spontaneous clearance. Logistic regression was used to analyse factors associated with treatment uptake among those with recent drug dependence., Results: 57,467 people were estimated to have chronic HCV throughout the DAA era. Treatment uptake was highest among those with recent (47%), compared to those with distant (38%), and no (33%) drug dependence. Among those with recent drug dependence, treatment was more likely among those with HIV (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.71; 95% CI 1.24-2.36), recent incarceration (aOR 1.10; 95% CI 1.01-1.19), and history of alcohol use disorder (aOR 1.22; 95% CI 1.13-1.31). Treatment was less likely among women (aOR 0.78; 95% CI 0.72-0.84), patients of Indigenous ethnicity (aOR 0.75; 95% CI 0.69-0.81), foreign-born individuals (aOR 0.86; 95% CI 0.78-0.96), those with outer-metropolitan notifications (aOR 0.90; 95% CI 0.82-0.98), HBV coinfection (aOR 0.69; 95% CI 0.59-0.80), and >1 recent hospitalisation (aOR: 0.91; 95% CI 0.84-0.98)., Conclusions: These data provide evidence of high DAA uptake among people with recent drug dependence, including those who are incarcerated. Enhancing this encouraging initial uptake among high-risk populations will be essential to achieve HCV elimination., Lay Summary: To facilitate HCV elimination, those at highest risk of infection and transmission are a treatment priority. This study shows the successes of Australia's universal provision of DAA therapy in reducing the barriers to treatment which have historically persisted among people who inject drugs. Despite higher DAA therapy uptake among those with recent drug dependence, gaps remain. Strategies which aim to reduce marginalisation and increase treatment uptake to ensure equitable HCV elimination must be advanced., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest GD reports grants from Gilead, Abbvie, Merck, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, personal fees from Gilead, Abbvie, and Merck, and non-financial support from Gilead, Abbvie, and Merck, outside the submitted work. JGrebely reports grants from Merck, grants from Cepheid, during the conduct of the study; grants and personal fees from Abbvie, grants and personal fees from Gilead Sciences, grants and personal fees from Merck, grants and personal fees from Cepheid, grants from Hologic, grants from Indivior, outside the submitted work. ML reports grants from Gilead, ViiV Healthcare and Janssen outside the submitted work. MK reports receiving grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Hologic, Merck, Roche Molecular Systems, and Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics outside of the submitted work. JGeorge reports funding from MSD, Abbvie, BMS, Pharmaxis, Norvartis, Cincera, and Bayer outside the submitted work. BH reports grants from NSW Health and Cancer Council NSW. LD has received investigator-initiated untied educational grants for studies of opioid medications in Australia from Indivior, Mundipharma and Seqirus. All remaining authors have no potential conflicts to declare. Please refer to the accompanying ICMJE disclosure forms for further details., (Copyright © 2020 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Data describing antibiotic use in U.S. nursing homes remain limited. We report antibiotic use among skilled nursing facility residents from 29 U.S. nursing homes and assessed correlations between antibiotics prescribed to residents in skilled care and nursing home characteristics., Design: Retrospective cohort study., Setting: Twenty-nine U.S. nursing homes in the same healthcare corporation., Participants: Residents receiving skilled care in 2016., Measurements: We used pharmacy invoice and nursing home census data to calculate the days of antibiotic therapy per 1,000 days of skilled care (1,000 DOSC), the rate of antibiotic starts per 1,000 DOSC, the length of antibiotic therapy, and the average antibiotic spectrum index. We also assessed correlations between antibiotic use and nursing home characteristics., Results: Antibiotics accounted for an average of 9.6% (±0.6%) of systemic medications prescribed among residents receiving skilled care. On average, 26.8% (±2.9%) of antibiotics were intravenous. Fluoroquinolones were prescribed at the highest rates (19% across all facilities), followed by beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitors (11%), first- and second-generation cephalosporins, sulfonamides, and oral tetracyclines (each at 9%). Both the proportion of residents using enrolled in Medicare and number of unique prescribers responsible for systemic prescriptions positively correlated with the rate of antibiotic starts., Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that pharmacy invoices represent a useful and preexisting source of data for assessing antibiotic prescriptions among individuals receiving skilled nursing care. The correlation between the number of unique prescribers and antibiotic starts suggests that prescribers are central to efforts to improve antibiotic use in nursing homes., (© 2020 The American Geriatrics Society.)

Background Evidence-based therapies are generally underused for cardiovascular risk reduction; however, less is known about contemporary patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Methods and Results Pharmacy and medical claims data from within Anthem were queried for patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Using an index date of April 18, 2018, we evaluated the proportion of patients with a prescription claim for any of the 3 evidence-based therapies on, or covering, the index date ±30 days: high-intensity statin, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker, and sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist. The potential benefit of achieving 100% adoption of all 3 evidence-based therapies was simulated using pooled treatment estimates from clinical trials. Of the 155 958 patients in the sample, 24.7% were using a high-intensity statin, 53.1% were using an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker, and 9.9% were using either an sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists. Overall, only 2.7% of the population were covered by prescriptions for all 3 evidence-based therapies, and 37.4% were on none of them. Over a 12-month period, 70.6% of patients saw a cardiologist, while only 18% saw an endocrinologist. Increasing the use of evidence-based therapies to 100% over 3 years of treatment could be expected to reduce 4546 major atherosclerotic cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiovascular death) in eligible but untreated patients. Conclusions Alarming gaps exist in the contemporary use of evidence-based therapies in this large population of insured patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. These data provide a call to action for patients, providers, industry, regulators, professional societies, and payers to close these gaps in care.

Background: Rational medication use for treatment is mandatory, particularly in children as they are vulnerable to possible hazards of drugs. Understanding the medication use pattern is of importance to identify the problems of drug therapy and to improve the appropriate use of medication among this population., Methods: A post-hoc study of the RV3-BB Phase IIb trial to children aged 0-18 months which was conducted in Indonesia during January 2013 to July 2016. Any concomitant medication use and health events among 1621 trial participants during the 18 months of follow-up were documented. Information on medication use included the frequency, formulation, indication, duration of usage, number of regimens, medication types, and therapeutic classes., Results: The majority of participants (N = 1333/1621; 82.2%) used at least one non-antibiotic medication for treatment during the 18-month observation period. A total of 7586 medication uses were recorded, mostly in oral formulation (90.5%). Of all illnesses recorded, 24.7% were treated with a single drug regimen of non-antibiotic medication. The most common therapeutic classes used were analgesics/antipyretics (30.1%), antihistamines for systemic use (17.4%), cough and cold preparations (13.5%), vitamins (8.6%), and antidiarrheals (6.6%). The main medication types used were paracetamol (29.9%), chlorpheniramine (16.8%), guaifenesin (8.9%), zinc (4.6%), and ambroxol (4.1%). Respiratory system disorder was the most common reason for medication use (51.9%), followed by gastrointestinal disorders (19.2%), pyrexia (16.9%), and skin disorders (7.0%)., Conclusion: A large number of children were exposed to at least one medication during their early life, including those where evidence of efficacy and safety in a pediatric population is lacking. This supports the need for further research on pediatric drug therapy to improve the appropriate use of medication in this population., Competing Interests: The authors have the following interests: NSB is a paid employee of PT Biofarma. PT Biofarma is a state-owned company (owned by Indonesia government) that provides all vaccines for Indonesia National Immunization Program. Additionally, PT Biofarma was one of the non-commercial funders for the RV3-BB Phase IIB trial. No consultation was done to the funder relating to the trial. The trial was a phase IIB trial and while the RV3-BB rotavirus vaccine is not yet marketed, this vaccine is being developed with the intention for eventual usage in the national immunization program. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Objectives Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) has been shown to effectively and safely prevent the anemia of prematurity and to reduce the transfusion need in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants and has been licensed for this indication in Europe in 1997. The objective of the study was to obtain information on the use or non-use of rhEPO in neonatal units in Germany and other European countries. Methods Anonymized 14-questions web-based questionnaire. Results Seventy-nine questionnaires from Germany and 63 questionnaires from other 15 European countries were completed. Of the responders, 39% indicated to use rhEPO routinely or occasionally in VLBW infants, whereas 61% responded to never use rhEPO in this population. The major reasons given for non-use were lack of recommendation in national guidelines (69%) and/or doubt about efficacy of rhEPO to reduce transfusion need (53%). Twenty-seven percent of the responders indicated to use rhEPO for neonates with birth weights above 1,500 g. Neuroprotection in VLBW infants (26%) and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in term neonates (27%) were given as indications for off label use of rhEPO. Conclusions This survey indicates that rhEPO is used for the anemia of prematurity as licensed in less than half of neonatal units in Germany and other European countries. On the other hand it seems to be used off label in neonates for neuroprotection in a considerable number of units although there is no final evidence on its neuroprotective effects.

Aims This study determined the impact of the direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) on the utilisation and expenditure on oral anticoagulants (OACs) in the Irish Community healthcare setting. We also investigated aspects of DOAC prescribing. Methods Using anonymised prescription data from the HSE pharmacy claims database we investigated anticoagulant prescribing over the study period (1/1/2014 - 31/12/2018). Results Some 74,748 patients were being treated with OACs by the year end 2018 an increase of 30,319 over 5 years. Warfarin prescribing fell from 32,751 patients in 2014 to 16,166 by the year end 2018. Apixaban is the most frequently prescribed OAC and annual expenditure on DOACs now exceeds € 51 million. Patients treated with DOACs are older than participants in the pivotal clinical trials and are frequently co-administered interacting drugs. Conclusion The introduction of DOACs has resulted in an overall increase in anticoagulant prescribing, a significant reduction in warfarin usage and a large increase in expenditure., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest to disclose.

We aimed to study the changing popularity of oral anticoagulants and the potential association between media coverage and real-world utilization practice, using time series analysis.In this STROBE-compliant study, we used Google Trends data to study public interest for direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) (dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban) and warfarin in the United States (10-year coverage, beginning July 1st, 2008 ending June 30th, 2018). We validated our findings on a sample of 50 consecutive datasets (accumulated between July 6th, 2018 and October 19th, 2018), using the same search criteria. We used the LexisNexis Academic database to quantify monthly media coverage for DOACs and explored its association with interest by the public, using the cross-correlation coefficient function. Finally, we studied the association between public interest and real-world utilization data, including published US-wide data on ambulatory anticoagulation visits.The approval of dabigatran in 2010 marked an increasing public interest for DOACs. Dabigatran exhibited a steep rise early after Food and Drug Administration approval that peaks in 2011, to be surpassed sequentially by rivaroxaban (2012) and apixaban (2014). Apixaban has outperformed its competitors in popularity since mid-2017, and, by the end of the observation period, was close to warfarin that is on first place. Media coverage was low before approval of the first oral DOAC (dabigatran), increased thereafter (median 13 news articles per month vs 64, P < .001), with peaks on the approval dates (81 vs 48, P = .003). Media coverage had a weak immediate impact on DOACs public interest and public interest patterns preceded changes in ambulatory anticoagulation visits by up to 5 months.For a long-run observation period, a single Google Trends search will suffice to produce robust estimations of the relative popularity between treatment options, such as oral anticoagulants. Media coverage has limited immediate impact and relative public interest is a potential lead indicator of changes in actual utilization.

Objectives: Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) teams around the world include pharmacists; however, their impact is relatively unknown. This study aimed to explore the relationship between pharmacists' actions and antibiotic consumption., Methods: Hospital pharmacists involved in the French antibiotic consumption surveillance network (ATB-Raisin) were invited to participate in a retrospective observational multicentre study. Collected data were: the previous year's (2016) antibiotic consumption expressed in daily defined dose per 1000 patient-days; AMS measures, including pharmacist-specific actions; and use of a computerised prescription order entry (CPOE) system. Associations between antibiotic consumption and AMS measures were assessed by linear regression, after adjustment for hospital activities., Results: Annual data for 2016 from 77 hospitals (7260000 bed-days in 24000 beds) were analysed. Pharmacists were involved in AMS programs in 73% of hospitals, and were the antibiotic advisor in 25%. Pharmaceutical review of prescriptions was organised in almost all hospitals (97%). The univariable analysis identified five measures associated with lower overall antibiotic consumption: CPOE use (if >80% of prescriptions or 100%), pharmaceutical review (if >80% of beds or 100%) and the antibiotic advisor being a pharmacist (P=0.04, P=0.004 and P=0.003, respectively). In the multivariable analysis, two explanatory variables were significantly and independently associated with a lower overall antibiotic consumption: the antibiotic advisor being a pharmacist and a pharmaceutical review covering all beds (-19.9% [-31.6%; -8.1%], P=0.002 and -18.3% [-34.0%; -2.6%], P=0.03, respectively)., Conclusions: Antibiotic consumption was lower when the antibiotic advisor was a pharmacist and when the pharmaceutical team reviewed all prescriptions. These results highlight that actions initiated by pharmacists have a positive impact and should be supported., (Copyright © 2019 International Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Medicines Use Reviews (MURs) and the New Medicine Service (NMS) are services delivered by UK community pharmacists to improve adherence, improve patient understanding of their medicines and reduce medicines wastage., Aim: In this scoping review we aim to identify, map and critically examine the nature of existing empirical evidence in peer reviewed journals relating to MUR and NMS consultations., Method: Systematic searches identified the available MUR and NMS empirical literature. We sought data on barriers and facilitators to conducting MUR or NMS consultations, the perceptions of pharmacists and patients, the conduct of consultations, and outcomes of consultations. Searches from 2005 (when MURs were introduced) to May 2018 were conducted in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase and Scopus databases. Data were extracted into Excel for examination of study characteristics, participant characteristics, type of intervention/services delivered and key study quantitative and/or qualitative findings., Results: Forty-one papers from 37 studies met the inclusion criteria: 28 papers were of MURs, 10 of NMS and 3 for both services. Studies focused on the introduction and implementation of these services, with little attention to outcomes for patients; effectiveness was not evaluated beyond in a single NMS RCT. Observational data indicated that pharmacists and patients view MURs and the NMS positively, despite challenges implementing these services and apparent lack of communication between pharmacists and GPs. Consultations were reported to be short, typically 10-12 min, characterised by limited engagement with patients and their health problems. The extent and nature of advice on health behaviours during consultations or other content was rarely examined., Conclusion: The research literature on MURs and the NMS has developed slowly. There is much scope for further research attention to developing more patient-centred care., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The accurate assessment of antimicrobial use (AMU) requires relating quantities of active ingredients (AAIs) with population denominators. These data can be used to prioritize potential sources of selective pressure for antimicrobial resistance and to establish reduction targets. Here, we estimated AMU in Vietnam (human population 93.4 M in 2015), and compared it with European Union (EU) data (population 511.5 M in 2014). We extrapolated AMU data on each key animal species and humans from different published sources to calculate overall AMU (in tonnes) in Vietnam. We then compared these data with published statistics on AMU in the European Union (EU). A total of 3838 t of antimicrobials were used in Vietnam, of which 2751 (71.7%) corresponded to animal use, and the remainder (1086 t; 28.3%) to human AMU. This equates to 261.7 mg and 247.3 mg per kg of human and animal biomass, compared with 122.0 mg and 151.5 mg in the EU. The greatest quantities of antimicrobials (in decreasing order) were used in pigs (41.7% of total use), humans (28.3%), aquaculture (21.9%) and chickens (4.8%). Combined AMU in other species accounted for < 1.5%. These results are approximate and highlight the need to conduct targeted surveys to improve country-level estimates of AMU., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© The Author(s). 2020.)

Background: The point prevalence survey of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial use organized by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC-PPS) and the Global Point Prevalence Survey of antimicrobial consumption (Global-PPS) were simultaneously performed in Belgian acute care hospitals in 2017., Methods: Belgian acute care hospitals were invited to participate in either the ECDC or Global-PPS. Hospital/ward/patient-level data were collected between September-December 2017. All patients present in the wards at 8 a.m. on the day of the PPS were included. The data of the ECDC and Global-PPS on antimicrobial consumption were pooled. Detailed data on HAIs were analysed for ECDC-PPS., Results: Overall, 110 Belgian acute care hospital sites participated in the ECDC and Global-PPS (countrywide participation rate: 81.4%, 28,007 patients). Overall, a crude prevalence of patients with at least one antimicrobial of 27.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 26.5-27.6%) was found. The most frequently reported indications were pneumonia (23.2%), urinary tract infections (15.2%) and skin and soft tissue infections (11.9%). The reason for antimicrobial use was recorded for 81.9% of the prescriptions, a stop/review date for 40.8% and compliance with local antibiotic guidelines for 76.6%. In the ECDC-PPS, the crude prevalence of patients with at least one HAI was 7.3% (95%CI 6.8-7.7%). Most frequently reported HAIs were pneumonia (21.6%) and urinary tract infections (21.3%)., Conclusions: HAI and antimicrobial use prevalence remained stable in comparison with the previous PPS (7.1% and 27.4% in 2011 and 2015, respectively). Belgian hospitals should be further stimulated to set local targets to improve antibiotic prescribing and reduce HAI., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© The Author(s). 2020.)

Background: Although antimicrobial stewardship programmes are one of the highest priorities in healthcare systems and many articles have been published, few refer to the implementation of antifungal stewardship and highlight specific points on which efforts should be focused., Objective: To assess the percentage of patients with confirmed candidaemia in whom de-escalation was conducted, and the economic impact of step-down or step-up antifungal therapy. Additionally, we attempted to estimate the potential increase in drug minimum inhibitory concentrations or to detect resistant strains of Candida species., Methods: We selected, retrospectively, patients who had received systemic antifungal therapy between 2011 and 2016 for documented candidaemia. Statistical analysis and diagrams were used to assess the results., Results: Of 157 patients with confirmed candidaemia, 58 received azoles, 74 echinocandinsand 18 liposomal amphotericin B for empirical therapy. 51 patients were eligible to step-down to fluconazole but only 23 patients did so. Furthermore, in nine patients unjustified step-up from fluconazole to echinocandins or liposomal amphotericin B was carried out. The additional cost incurred bythe healthcare system due to high prices of echinocandins and liposomal amphotericin B in comparison with fluconazole was€211 837. Interestingly, it was found that one strain of C. albicans and two strains of C. glabrata were resistant to echinocandins., Conclusion: The presence of a multidisciplinary team, including an infection control specialist and a clinical pharmacist, would limit the prescription of advanced antifungal agents as empirical therapy. Moreover, this team would control the de-escalation process-where applicable-leading to a reduction in costs and, probably, a decrease in the emergence of resistant Candida species. These facts contribute to the broader discussion on the adoption of antifungal stewardship programmes., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2020. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this integrative review is to synthesize research on the measurement of polypharmacy., Methods: A comprehensive search of the literature databases Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and PubMed was conducted using a combination of terms/keywords to search existing studies to explore measures used to address polypharmacy., Results: Several methods of measuring the existence of polypharmacy have been used in research. In addition to screening tools, the number of medications taken was used as an indicator of polypharmacy., Conclusions: Multiple methods of the measurement of polypharmacy have been used throughout the literature. Most methods related to the intended study objectives and population. The most frequently reported measure of screening was the Beers Criteria., (© Copyright 2019 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.)

Objectives: Whether early medication reconciliation and integration can reduce polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) in the emergency department (ED) remains unclear. Polypharmacy and PIM have been recognized as significant causes of adverse drug events in older adults. Therefore, this pilot study was conducted to delineate this issue., Design: An interventional study., Setting: A medical center in Taiwan., Participants: Older ED patients (aged ≥65 years) awaiting hospitalization between December 1, 2017, and October 31, 2018 were recruited in this study. A multidisciplinary team and a computer-based and pharmacist-assisted medication reconciliation and integration system were implemented., Measurements: The reduced proportions of major polypharmacy (≥10 medications) and PIM at hospital discharge were compared with those on admission to the ED between pre- and post-intervention periods., Results: A total of 911 patients (pre-intervention = 243 vs post-intervention = 668) were recruited. The proportions of major polypharmacy and PIM were lower in the post-intervention than in the pre-intervention period (-79.4% vs -65.3%; P < .001, and - 67.5% vs -49.1%; P < .001, respectively). The number of medications was reduced from 12.5 ± 2.7 to 6.9 ± 3.0 in the post-intervention period in patients with major polypharmacy (P < .001)., Conclusion: Early initiation of computer-based and pharmacist-assisted intervention in the ED for reducing major polypharmacy and PIM is a promising method for improving geriatric care and reducing medical expenditures. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2298-2304, 2019., (© 2019 The American Geriatrics Society.)

Despite being approved by the Food and Drug Administration for over 30 years, calcitonin salmon has seen a dramatic increase in acquisition cost over the last few years. Being commonly used for the treatment of hypercalcemia of malignancy, health systems must implement stewardship strategies in order to curtail usage. This review is intended to provide a background on calcitonin usage for hypercalcemia of malignancy and associated strategies to ensure appropriateness of utilization within health systems.

Objectives: To understand patterns of subcutaneous (SC) biologics use over time in adults with inflammatory rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases receiving a homecare delivery service., Design: Retrospective cohort., Setting: Patients in secondary care receiving SC biologics in the largest Scottish Health Board., Participants: A new bespoke cohort was created from routine data gathered as part of a health board Homecare Service Database. Patients over 18 years who received a supply of SC biologic from January 2012 to May 2015 with a diagnosis for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) or ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were included., Outcomes Measured: A standardised framework was applied by measuring discontinuation rates, persistence using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression and adherence using medication refill adherence (MRA) and compliance rate (CR)., Results: 751 patients were identified (AS: 105, PsA: 227, RA: 419) of whom 89.3% had more than one biologic delivery (median days' follow-up: AS: 494; PsA: 544; RA: 529) and 83.2% did not switch biologic. For all conditions, approximately half were persistent on their index biologic (52% AS, 54% PsA, 48%RA). Of patients who discontinued treatment, the majority reinitiated with the same biologic (19% AS, 18% PsA and 21% RA). Overall adherence during the period of treatment was over 80% when calculated using MRA (median %MRA: AS: 84.0%, PsA: 85.0%, RA: 82.4%) or CR (median %CR: AS: 96.6%, PsA: 97%, RA: 96.6%)., Conclusion: Use of linked routine data is a sustainable pathway to enable ongoing evaluation of biologics use. A more consistent approach to studying use (discontinuation, persistence and adherence metrics) should be adopted to enable comparability of studies., Competing Interests: Competing interests: SS has received honoraria from Janssen, Novartis, AbbVie, Pfizer, UCB, Celgene and Boehringer-Ingelheim, and research funding from UCB, Celgene, Boehringer-Ingelheim, BMS and Pfizer., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

BackgroundIn 2012, Israel's National Center for Infection Control initiated a national stewardship programme that included mandatory annual reporting of antimicrobial use. Here we present nationwide Israeli data for the period 2012 to 2017.AimThe goal of this study was to detect trends in antimicrobial use in Israel following the introduction of the stewardship programme, as part of an assessment of the programme's impact.MethodsIn this retrospective observational study, data were collected from Israel's health maintenance organisations (HMOs), acute care hospitals and post-acute care hospitals (PACHs). Acute care hospital data were collected for general medical and surgical wards, and medical/surgical intensive care units (ICUs). Data were converted into defined daily doses (DDD), with use rates presented as DDD per 1,000 insured/day in the community and DDD per 100 patient-days in hospitals and PACHs. Trends were analysed using linear regression.ResultsAntimicrobial use decreased across sectors between 2012 and 2017. In the community, the decrease was modest, from 22.8 to 21.8 DDD per 1,000 insured per day (4.4%, p = 0.004). In acute care hospitals, antibiotic DDDs per 100 patient-days decreased from 100.0 to 84.0 (16.0%, p = 0.002) in medical wards, from 112.8 to 94.2 (16.5%, p = 0.004) in surgical wards and from 154.4 to 137.2 (11.1%, p = 0.04) in ICUs. Antimicrobial use decreased most markedly in PACHs, from 29.1 to 18.1 DDD per 100 patient-days (37.8%, p = 0.005).ConclusionBetween 2012 and 2017, antimicrobial use decreased significantly in all types of healthcare institutions in Israel, following the introduction of the nationwide antimicrobial stewardship programme.

Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate drug costs per resident at Japanese intermediate care facilities for older adults (called Roken) in relation to drug utilization after admission to these facilities. The payment, including coverage of drugs, is mainly determined by the resident's long-term care needs., Methods: A nationwide drug utilization survey was carried out. The participants were 1324 residents of 350 Roken (up to five individuals per facility) who were admitted in 2015 and agreed to participate in this study. Drug costs per resident per month at admission and 2 months later were calculated for drugs prescribed for regular use. Associations between characteristics of the residents and drug costs were examined., Results: A wide variation in drug costs with a long right tail was observed. Median drug costs were $77 (interquartile range $34-147) at admission, and $46 (interquartile range $19-98) in month 2. There was no apparent association between the level of long-term care needs and drug costs, adjusting for sex, age and main place of residence before admission. Anti-dementia drugs accounted for the largest portion of total drug costs at admission (15.4%) and in month 2 (12.4%). The average drug cost per user was also the highest for anti-dementia drugs ($90.2 per user per month), followed by drugs for Parkinson's disease ($70.3). The proportion of generic drugs across all drug classes examined increased after admission., Conclusions: These findings might suggest that implementation of the bundled payment scheme would be effective for the reduction of medication costs in institutional long-term care. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 667-672., (© 2019 Japan Geriatrics Society.)

Background Medicine use review by pharmacists has the potential to improve anticoagulation therapy management in patients on warfarin. Objective To develop, implement and evaluate a pharmacist-led medication use review service for patients on warfarin. Setting Six community pharmacies in Malta. Method Patients (N = 100) aged 18 or older and on warfarin were recruited through pre-selected community-pharmacies. These patients were then invited to attend two sessions: a review session (t 1 ) and a follow-up session after 2 months (t 2 ). During the medication use review session, medication reconciliation was performed (a) to detect drug-related problems using the DOCUMENT classification system, (b) to develop an individualised care plan for each patient and (c) to recommend an action for each identified problem for physician, pharmacist or patient consideration. At t 2 , the degree of acceptance of the recommendations was determined by assessing the number of drug-related problems for which action was taken to address the problem. International normalisation ration (INR) control was evaluated by calculating the percentage Time in Therapeutic Range (TTR) at t 1 and t 2 using the Rosendaal linear interpolation method. Main outcome measures Frequency and type of drug-related problems detected; percentage of accepted recommendations; and INR control. Results A total of 481 drug-related problems were identified; 40% (n = 190) were related to warfarin treatment. Need for monitoring (30%; n = 145), lack of compliance (20%; n = 97) and need for patient education (19%; n = 90) were the top three problems identified. There was a significant correlation between frequency of the problems and number of chronic medications (Spearman Correlation 0.583, p < 0.001), number of comorbidities (Spearman Correlation 0.327, p = 0.001) and older age (Spearman Correlation 0.285, p = 0.04). A total of 475 recommendations were followed-up; 49% (n = 234) were referred for consideration by the physician. The percentage of recommendations accepted (84%; n = 397) was significantly higher than the percentage of recommendations not accepted (16%; n = 78) (p < 0.001). The time in therapeutic range improved significantly from 68.7% at t 1 to 79.8% at t 2 (p = 0.01). Conclusions The high percentage of accepted recommendations and the improvement in INR control indicate that a pharmacist-led medication use review service in community pharmacy contributes to improving anticoagulation therapy management in patients on warfarin.

Objective: Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is a new method to objectively and robustly detect nonadherence. We applied this technique to study nonadherence to cardiovascular medications in people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM)., Research Design and Methods: Routine urine samples, received at the time of the annual diabetes review from 228 people with T2DM in primary care, were assessed for adherence by LC-MS/MS., Results: A total of 28.1% patients ( N = 64) were nonadherent to antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and/or lipid-lowering medications. Nonadherence to statins was the highest at 23.7%, and nonadherence to oral hypoglycemic agents was 9.3%. HbA 1c , albumin-to-creatinine ratio, and lipid profiles were significantly higher in the patients who were nonadherent compared with those who were adherent to treatment., Conclusions: This unique study shows that routine urine samples can be used for adherence testing screening by LC-MS/MS and has demonstrated high nonadherence rates especially to statins in people with T2DM. Future intervention studies using LC-MS/MS as a diagnostic/therapeutic tool may help to improve clinical outcomes., (© 2019 by the American Diabetes Association.)

Background Anticoagulant therapy is associated with a high risk of complications. Adherence to anticoagulant therapy protocols may lower this risk but adherence is often suboptimal. The introduction of a multidisciplinary antithrombotic team may improve adherence to anticoagulant guidelines among physicians. Objective To determine the effect of hospital-based multidisciplinary antithrombotic stewardship on adherence to anticoagulant guidelines among prescribing physicians. Setting This prospective non-randomised before-and-after study was conducted in patients hospitalized between October 2015 and December 2017 and treated with anticoagulant therapy. Method A multidisciplinary antithrombotic team focusing on education, medication reviews, drafting of local anticoagulant therapy protocols, patient counseling and medication reconciliation at admission and discharge was implemented in two Dutch hospitals. Main outcome measure Primary outcome was the proportion of the admitted patients in which the prescribing physician did adhere to the anticoagulant guidelines. Results The study comprised 1886 patients, of which 941 patients were included in the usual care period and 945 patients in the intervention period. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that adherence was observed significantly more often during the intervention period (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj] 1.58, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.21-2.05). Detailed analysis identified that the significantly higher overall adherence in the intervention period was attributed to dosing of LMWHs (odds ratio [OR] 1.58, 95% CI 1.16-2.14). Conclusion This study shows that introduction of a multidisciplinary antithrombotic stewardship leads to a significantly higher overall adherence to anticoagulant guidelines among prescribing physicians, mainly based on the improvement of dosing of low-molecular-weight-heparins.

Background Older age and inappropriate prescribing is related to a greater rate of emergency department visits and hospitalisations. Objective To assess the efficacy of an interprofessional collaboration programme in which a review of the medication of older patients seen in the emergency observation unit was carried out. Setting Emergency departments at four Spanish hospitals. Method Randomised, controlled study. Patients over 65 years of age presenting to the emergency department were randomised to a control or an intervention group. In the intervention group, a pharmacist reviewed the patients' chronic medication and identified any potentially inappropriate prescriptions based on the STOPP/START criteria. Each case was discussed with the emergency specialist and a recommendation to modify the treatment was sent to the general practitioner. Main outcome measure Rate of emergency visits and hospital admissions. Results The adjusted rate ratio of emergency visits and hospital admissions was 0.808 (95% CI 0.617 to 1.059) at 3 months, 0.888 (95% CI 0.696 to 1.134) at 6 months and 0.954 (95% CI 0.772 to 1.179) at 12 months. There was a statistically significant reduction at 3 months in two of the hospitals that participated in the study [adjusted rate ratio at 3 months was 0.452 (95% CI 0.222 to 0.923) in hospital 3 and 0.567 (95% CI 0.328 to 0.983) in hospital 4]. Conclusion Overall, the intervention did not reduce the number of emergency visits and hospital admissions. However, a significant effect was observed in centres were a high acceptance rate of treatment recommendations was achieved.

Objectives: The Ghent Older People's Prescriptions community Pharmacy Screening (GheOP 3 S-) tool was recently developed as an explicit screening method to detect Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing (PIP) in the community pharmacy. We aimed to validate the GheOP 3 S-tool as an effective screening method for PIP., Methods: All patients admitted to the acute geriatric ward of the Sint-Vincentius hospital (Belgium) were consecutively screened for inclusion (≥70 years,≥5 drugs chronically). PIP prevalence was evaluated by applying the GheOP 3 S-tool on the complete medication history. For each PIP-item, clinical relevance of the detected item, relevance of proposed alternative and subsequent acceptance by the treating geriatrician and a general practitioner were evaluated. Additionally, contribution to the current admission and preventability was assessed by the geriatrician. The completeness of a PIP-screening with the GheOP 3 S-tool was evaluated through comparison with the adapted Medication Appropriateness Index (aMAI)., Results: We detected 250 GheOP 3 S-items in 57 of 60 included patients (95%) (median: four PIP-items per patient; IQR: 3-5). Both the geriatrician and the general practitioners scored the clinical relevance of the detected items 'serious' or 'significant' in over 70% of cases. Proposed alternative treatment plans were accepted for 79% of the PIP-items (n = 198). The aMAI detected 536 items, of which 145 were also detected by the GheOP 3 S-tool. A total of 119 PIP-items were additionally detected by the GheOP 3 S-tool., Conclusion: The clinical relevance of the PIP-items detected with the GheOP 3 S-tool is high, likewise the acceptance rate of proposed alternatives.

Purpose: A novel value-based approach to evaluate costly specialty drugs for formulary addition was developed., Summary: In February 2016, Stanford Health Care launched the specialty drug subcommittee (SDSC), a subcommittee of the pharmacy and therapeutics committee, responsible for the formulary review of specialty pharmaceuticals. A process was developed for value-based review that includes not only consideration of clinical trial data and institutional acquisition costs but also internal patient outcomes and a cost-effectiveness model using internal financial data. A Markov model was developed to assess the value of trabectedin, which was approved for formulary addition in April 2016, relative to the addition of dacarbazine. The economic model and internal patient outcome analysis were presented to the prescribing oncologist and the SDSC for review. Internal data revealed that fewer patients than had been estimated received trabectedin, with outcomes significantly worse than those observed in the clinical trial leading to Food and Drug Administration approval. In the cost-effectiveness model, trabectedin had higher costs and poorer outcomes compared with dacarbazine. Based on the economic model, low utilization, and real-world outcomes, trabectedin was removed from formulary and a restrictive treatment pathway for nonformulary use, developed by the primary prescriber, was implemented. This process has since been applied to 11 more specialty drugs., Conclusion: Internal cost-effectiveness models in combination with real-world patient outcomes data can be effective formulary management tools. Engagement and collaboration with the requesting provider are key to developing thoughtful treatment pathways., (© American Society of Health-System Pharmacists 2019. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to develop a set of valid and feasible quality indicators used to track opioid stewardship efforts in hospital and emergency department settings., Methods: Candidate quality indicators were extracted from published literature. Feasibility screening excluded quality indicators that cannot be reliably extracted from the electronic health record or that are irrelevant to pain management in the hospital and emergency department settings. Validity screening used an electronic survey of key stakeholders including pharmacists, nurses, physicians, administrators, and researchers. Stakeholders used a 9-point Likert scale to rate the validity of each quality indicator based on predefined criteria. During expert panel discussions, stakeholders revised quality indicator wording, added new quality indicators, and voted to include or exclude each quality indicator. Priority ranking used a second electronic survey and a 9-point Likert scale to prioritize the included quality indicators., Results: Literature search yielded 76 unique quality indicators. Feasibility screening excluded 9 quality indicators. The validity survey was completed by 46 (20%) of 228 stakeholders. Expert panel discussions yielded 19 valid and feasible quality indicators. The top 5 quality indicators by priority were: the proportion of patients with (1) naloxone administrations, (2) as needed opioids with duplicate indications, and (3) long acting or extended release opioids if opioid-naïve, (4) the average dose of morphine milligram equivalents administered per day, and (5) the proportion of opioid discharge prescriptions exceeding 7 days., Conclusion: Multi-professional stakeholders across a health system participated in this consensus process and developed a set of 19 valid and feasible quality indicators for opioid stewardship interventions in the hospital and emergency department settings.

AimThis study aimed to assess the consistency and replicability of these process measures during provision of the Italian Medicines Use Review (I-MUR)., Background: Medication review is a common intervention provided by community pharmacists in many countries, but with little evidence of consistency and replicability. The I-MUR utilised a standardised question template in two separate large-scale studies. The template facilitated pharmacists in recording medicines and problems reported by patients, the pharmaceutical care issues (PCIs) they found and actions they took to improve medicines use., Methods: Community pharmacists from four cities and across 15 regions were involved in the two studies. Patients included were adults with asthma. Medicines use, adherence, asthma problems, PCIs and actions taken by pharmacists were compared across studies to assess consistency and replicability of I-MUR.FindingsThe total number of pharmacists and patients completing the studies was 275 and 1711, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found between the studies in the following domains: patients' demographic, patients' perceived problems, adherence, asthma medicines used and healthy living advice provided by pharmacists. The proportion of patients in which pharmacists identified PCIs was similar across both studies. There were differences only in the incidence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, the frequency of potential drug-disease interactions and in the types of advice given to patients and GPs., Conclusions: The use of a standardised template for the I-MUR may have contributed to a degree of consistency in the issues found, which suggests this intervention could have good replicability.

Background: There are inadequate data on prescribed drug utilization in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Drug utilization research (DUR) in this region is hampered by lack of access to databases that capture prescribed drug utilization such as health insurance claims, electronic medical records and disease registries. The primary objective of this MiniReview was to describe the content of the NHIS claims database in the context of the health care system in Ghana. We will also review the possibilities and limitations of analysing this novel database for drug utilization research (DUR) in Ghana., Methods: We reviewed the history, composition of the database, coverage and health systems in Ghana. To demonstrate the application of the NHIS claims database for DUR, we reviewed the NHIS' drug formulary (NHIS medicines' list), assessed and quantified the utilization of the top 25 most commonly prescribed medicines and their distributions by age, sex, region of residence and by MDCs., Results: As of December 2014, about 40% (~10.5 million) of the Ghanaian population were active beneficiaries of NHIS. There were 1.43 million unique patients in the NHIS claims database who received services from about 81 providers located in 9 out of the 10 regions in Ghana. The mean age of this sample of beneficiaries was 31 (standard deviation, 22) years, a third of whom were aged <18 years old. Nearly, 2 out of every 3 beneficiaries were females. On average, there were approximately 3 outpatient visits per beneficiary in 2015. There were about 522 unique drugs on the NHIS medicine list. Overall, analgesic was the most prescribed class of medicine (mostly paracetamol and diclofenac). Antimalarials, artemether-lumefantrine, were observed as the second most prescribed medicines followed by anti-infectives (metronidazole) and antihypertensives (amlodipine)., Conclusion: The Ghana NHIS claims database is a great resource for DUR. This database could also be extended to facilitate pharmacoepidemiological and other health services' research especially if transformed into one of the existing standardized common data models., (© 2018 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).)

Objective: Compare and validate 5 algorithms to detect aberrant behavior with opioids: Opioid Misuse Score, Controlled Substance-Patterns of Utilization Requiring Evaluation (CS-PURE), Overutilization Monitoring System, Katz, and Cepeda algorithms., Study Design and Setting: We identified new prescription opioid users from 2 insurance databases: Medicaid (2000-2006) and Clinformatics Data Mart (CDM; 2004-2013). Patients were followed 1 year, and aberrant opioid behavior was defined according to each algorithm, using Cohen's kappa to assess agreement. Risk differences were calculated comparing risk of opioid-related adverse events for identified aberrant and nonaberrant users., Results: About 3.8 million Medicaid and 4.3 million CDM patients initiated prescription opioid use. Algorithms flagged potential aberrant behavior in 0.02% to 12.8% of initiators in Medicaid and 0.01% to 7.9% of initiators in CDM. Cohen's kappa values were poor to moderate (0.00 to 0.50 in Medicaid; 0.00 to 0.30 in CDM). Algorithms varied substantially in their ability to predict opioid-related adverse events; the Overutilization Monitoring System had the highest risk differences between aberrant and nonaberrant users (14.0% in Medicaid; 13.4% in CDM), and the Katz algorithm had the lowest (0.96% in Medicaid; 0.47% in CDM)., Conclusions: In 2 large databases, algorithms applied to prescription data had varying accuracy in identifying increased risk of adverse opioid-related events., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background: Previous studies have suggested that there are substantial differences between countries in terms of persistence with antidementia drugs and that the management of dementia is likely to be population-specific., Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the one-year persistence with donepezil, memantine, and rivastigmine in more than 66,000 elderly patients followed in Poland., Methods: This study included patients who were prescribed donepezil, memantine, or rivastigmine for the first time in general and neuropsychiatric practices in Poland between September 2016 and December 2017 (index date; N = 66,030). The primary outcome of the study was the one-year persistence with donepezil, memantine, and rivastigmine. Non-persistence was defined as a gap of at least 90 days without anti-dementia therapy. The secondary outcome was the identification of variables significantly associated with treatment non-persistence., Results: After 12 months of follow-up, 42.2% of donepezil users, 46.0% of rivastigmine users, and 65.9% of memantine users were persistent (log-rank p-value <0.001). Memantine (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.58) and rivastigmine users (HR = 0.92) were less likely to discontinue treatment one year after initiation than donepezil users. Furthermore, a younger age (60-64 years: HR = 1.32; 65-74 years: HR = 1.13) and therapy initiated by a neuropsychiatrist (HR = 1.11) were positively associated with therapy discontinuation, while we observed a negative association between the prescription of anti-psychotic drugs and non-persistence (HR = 0.81)., Conclusion: One-year persistence with donepezil, memantine, and rivastigmine was low in elderly patients followed in Poland, and was influenced by age, physician specialty, and co-therapy.

Aim: To explore the feasibility of the electronic assessment of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) criteria in a large administrative database and to explore the validity of the cardiovascular subset of PIM criteria, by studying the association with relevant outcome., Method: A cohort study using administrative data from Stockholm County, Sweden (VAL database). Eligible for inclusion were community-dwelling older people (≥65 years), alive in Stockholm County on 31 December 2015. We applied PIM criteria pertaining to the cardiovascular medication group (first-level ATC C group), and we assessed the association between PIM use and mortality and hospitalisation., Results: Patients' (n = 315 120) mean age was 74.0 years (range 65-114), and 54.7% were women. There were 111 cardiovascular PIM criteria in the repository, from which 44 were not registered or prescribed in our population. We excluded another 43 requiring information not available in the database, or duplicates, resulting in 24 applicable criteria. The prevalence of polypharmacy (≥ five medications) was 25.5% and the prevalence of at least one PIM use was 8.3%, including 2.8% underuse and 5.3% misuse. Patients with intake of ≥10 medications had 38% increased mortality risk compared to those with 0-4 medications. Unplanned hospitalisation and emergency department visits were positively associated with underuse (12% and 25%, respectively) and misuse (13% and 12%, respectively)., Conclusion: It was feasible to select a subset of cardiovascular PIM criteria originating from different PIM lists and to apply this subset in an administrative database. Additionally, by applying this subset, we showed significant associations with clinical outcome., (© 2018 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to use national health databases to assemble a pregnancy cohort for undertaking medicine utilisation and safety studies in New Zealand., Method: Pregnancies conceived between January 2005 and March 2015 were identified in the National Maternity Collection, the National Minimum Dataset, the Mortality Collection, and the Laboratory Claims Collection. Pregnancy start and end dates were calculated and used in conjunction with the National Health Index number to merge the records from the four collections to create the New Zealand Pregnancy Cohort. Records of live born and stillborn infants identified in the National Maternity Collection and the Mortality Collection that were linkable with a cohort member formed the baby cohort., Results: The cohort consists of 941 468 pregnancies to 491 272 women. One-third of the pregnancies, predominantly early pregnancy losses and terminations, were not found in the National Maternity Collection. Records of 632 090 live born or stillborn infants are linked with 623 099 pregnancies., Conclusions: The New Zealand Pregnancy Cohort is a comprehensive collection of virtually all pregnancies which ended in a live or stillbirth and many, though not all, which ended as early pregnancy losses or terminations in New Zealand over the past decade, and better represents the pregnant population than a cohort generated from the National Maternity Collection alone would do. This cohort will be valuable for investigating patterns of medicine use during pregnancy in New Zealand and developing a fuller understanding of potential impacts of foetal exposure in early pregnancy., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Purpose: Pegfilgrastim is indicated to reduce the risk of febrile neutropenia. As a cost-savings initiative, Pegfilgrastim Process Guidelines were developed and implemented at a large, academic teaching institution to improve appropriate use of pegfilgrastim and to decrease costs of outpatient infusion center administration by deferring doses to home self-administration for eligible patients., Methods: A retrospective medical record review was conducted post-implementation of the Pegfilgrastim Process Guideline to evaluate the use of pegfilgrastim and to assess the safety and efficacy of transferring pegfilgrastim orders from outpatient infusion center to home administration for eligible patients., Results: Fifty-nine patients were included in the study, with 35 patients receiving pegfilgrastim in the outpatient infusion center, 13 patients self-injecting at home, and 11 patients receiving doses in both settings. The total wholesale cost avoidance for pegfilgrastim orders transferred to self-administration at home during this time period totaled $205,163. The revenue from outpatient prescriptions of pegfilgrastim totaled $291,111.93. The percentage of febrile neutropenia admissions was 11.4%, 0%, and 9.1% in the outpatient infusion, home, and outpatient/home group, respectively., Conclusion: Implementation of the Pegfilgrastim Process Guidelines demonstrated decreased total pegfilgrastim orders to be dispensed by the infusion center and a cost avoidance of $205,163 in four months without any perceivable changes in patient outcomes. This represents a significant cost-savings opportunity.

Background: Medication management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) requires consideration of the residents’ goals of care and susceptibility to adverse drug events (ADEs)., Objective: The aim of this article is to review best practice medication management for residents diagnosed with T2DM., Discussion: Management of T2DM in RACFs is often focused on maintaining residents’ quality of life rather than intensive glycaemic management to reduce chronic complications, because the risks of intensive glycaemic management typically outweigh the potential benefits. Australian RACF guidelines recommend individualised glycated haemoglobin targets of 7–8.5% (53–69 mmol/mol). Strategies to reduce the risk of preventable ADEs may include education for residents, carers and staff; assessment of hypoglycaemic risk and renal function; medication review and regimen simplification; de-intensification of glucose-lowering medications; and appropriate end-of-life medication management. Use of a resident-centred multidisciplinary approach and resources tailored to the RACF setting will support residents to achieve best possible health outcomes and quality of life.

Background In December 2014 Slovene Chamber of Pharmacies defined procedures for Medicines Use Review (MUR) in Slovenia, together with an educational program and certification to ensure pharmacists' competency to perform MUR. The first 15 pharmacists were certified in June 2015 and implemented the service in their practices. Objective This study aimed to understand the implementation of MUR from the perspectives of the first community pharmacists providing the service in practice. Methods A focus group with first MUR providers took place in February 2016, 6 months after the first pharmacists were certified to provide MUR service. Based on regional and institutional criteria ten pharmacists from the first certified group were chosen and invited to participate in guided discussion, where the development and assurance of competencies, the provision of the service in practice and the future of the service were addressed. The discussion was voice recorded with written consent obtained from all participants. Analysis was performed in NVivo 11 software with the use of inductive qualitative content analysis approach. Main outcome measure Views, challenges and opportunities for the Medicines Use Review service in Slovenia. Results Seven pharmacists attended the focus group, 5 from public pharmaceutical institution and 2 from concessionary pharmacies. Three main thematical categories were identified: quality assurance of MUR, different stakeholders' perceptions of MUR and MURs' management. Pharmacists' broad knowledge in pharmacotherapy was emphasized as the basis of quality provision and main advantage in performing MUR in comparison with other healthcare professions. Recognisability of MUR among different stakeholders should be improved with comprehensive approach in marketing of the service. Positive patient feedback was reported, however persuading them to attend MUR presented a challenge. Better management of the service, especially in terms of work organization, would facilitate MUR provision. Conclusion Overall, positive experiences with implementation and provision were reported. To ensure MUR sustainability, the service needs to become more widely known and opportunities must be provided for continuing professional development of providing pharmacists.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the adaptation of an existing electronic referral application for use in antimicrobial stewardship prospective audit and feedback rounds (antimicrobial rounds)., Design: Retrospective, single-centre observational study between March 2015 and February 2016., Setting: A new quaternary referral centre., Study Participants: Adults referred for antimicrobial rounds outside of the intensive care and haematology units., Intervention: Adaptation of an electronic referral application used by medical and allied health staff. A questionnaire-style referral form was designed to capture patient clinical details using a combination of free text and dropdown menus. Clinical pharmacists were educated and granted access to the system., Main Outcome Measures: The proportion of completed electronic referrals of total round reviews by month for the 12 months after implementation. The time from request to completion of reviews. The impact on adherence to advice provided on rounds. The impact on the institutional usage of broad-spectrum antibiotics: glycopeptides, carbapenems, third and fourth generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and piperacillin/tazobactam., Results: Over the study period, the proportion of electronic referrals of completed antimicrobial round reviews increased from 59% to 88% (P < 0.001); 75.7% of accepted electronic referrals were seen within 48 h of request. The proportion of advice ignored fell from 18% to 8.5% (P < 0.001). Piperacillin/tazobactam, fluoroquinolone and glycopeptide usage decreased., Conclusions: The adaptation of an electronic referral application for antimicrobial rounds was associated with increased adherence to advice and reduction in use in target antibiotics. Our model is now used at other institutions.

Background: Laboratory tests can be important tools for the assessment of pharmacotherapy. Nonetheless, there are no previous studies that have explicitly focused on the role of pathology data in Home Medicines Reviews (HMR), an Australian medication review program., Objective: Evaluate pharmacists' recommendations regarding laboratory testing in the medication review process., Methods: This retrospective review of HMRs assessed the prevalence of the pathology data provided by general practitioners. Additionally, the pharmacists' recommendations based on these laboratory data were compared with national and international guidelines., Results: In total, 580 reports were evaluated. Of these, 179 reports did not contain any pathology data. Pharmacists commented on provided laboratory values in 324 reports and recommended further testing in 473 reports. Not all suggestions were related to previous values or were in line with guidelines. Most recommendations were regarding vitamin D and lipids (69% and 62% of medication review reports, respectively). Particularly, regarding renal impairment, pharmacists used their knowledge on dose adjustments and contraindications. In relation to full blood count, vitamin B12, and thyroid function, unjustified screenings were often recommended. In 26% of all reports, the pharmacists requested an array of tests without explaining the necessity for these tests. Conclusion and Relevance: Pharmacists provided useful advice based on the pathology data, which was concordant with national and international guidelines; however, in some cases, there was no rationale for the test recommendations provided. The outcome of the HMR program might be further enhanced if pharmacists had direct access to the patients' pathology data.

Background The Medicines use review (MUR) service, provided by community pharmacists, seeks to optimise patients' use of medicines. There is limited evidence on the clinical effectiveness of this service. Structuring MURs to include an assessment of prescribing appropriateness, facilitated by a validated prescribing screening tool, has the capacity to enhance this service. Objective To explore community pharmacists' views on the facilitators and barriers towards the utilisation of a screening tool as a guide to conducting structured MURs. Setting Community Pharmacy, Northern Ireland. Method Using the 14 domain Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), semi-structured interviews were conducted with community pharmacists. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using the Framework method. Main Outcome Measure Pharmacists' views towards utilisation of a screening tool as a guide to conducting structured MURs. Results Based on the analysis of 15 interviews, 11 TDF domains ('Knowledge', 'Skills', 'Social and professional role and identity', 'Beliefs about capabilities', 'Beliefs about consequences', 'Reinforcement', 'Goals', 'Memory, attention and decision process', 'Environmental context and resources', 'Social influences', 'Behavioural regulation') were deemed relevant. Facilitators included: knowledge of patients, clinical knowledge, perceived professional role, patients' clinical outcomes, influence of peers. Barriers included: prioritisation of other clinical activities, inability to access patients' clinical information, perceived alienation from the primary healthcare team and staffing issues. Conclusions Using the TDF, key facilitators and barriers were identified in the use of a screening tool as a guide to conducting MURs. These findings may assist in further development of MURs as a means to optimise patients' medicines use.

Antimicrobials are among the most important and commonly prescribed drugs in the management of critically ill patients and beta-lactams are the most common antibiotic class used. Critically ill patient's pathophysiological factors lead to altered pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of beta-lactams.A comprehensive bibliographic search in PubMed database of all English language articles published from January 2000 to December 2017 was performed, allowing the selection of articles addressing the pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics of beta-lactam antibiotics in critically ill patients.In critically ill patients, several factors may increase volume of distribution and enhance renal clearance, inducing high intra- and inter-patient variability in beta-lactam concentration and promoting the risk of antibiotic underdosing. The duration of infusion of beta-lactams has been shown to influence the fT > minimal inhibitory concentration and an improved beta-lactam pharmacodynamics profile may be obtained by longer exposure with more frequent dosing, extended infusions, or continuous infusions.The use of extracorporeal support techniques in the critically ill may further contribute to this problem and we recommend not reducing standard antibiotic dosage since no drug accumulation was found in the available literature and to maintain continuous or prolonged infusion, especially for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria.Prediction of outcome based on concentrations in plasma results in overestimation of antimicrobial activity at the site of infection, namely in cerebrospinal fluid and the lung. Therefore, although no studies have assessed clinical outcome, we recommend using higher than standard dosing, preferably with continuous or prolonged infusions, especially when treating less susceptible bacterial strains at these sites, as the pharmacodynamics profile may improve with no apparent increase in toxicity.A therapeutic drug monitoring-guided approach could be particularly useful in critically ill patients in whom achieving target concentrations is more difficult, such as obese patients, immunocompromised patients, those infected by highly resistant bacterial strains, patients with augmented renal clearance, and those undergoing extracorporeal support techniques.

Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate how critical patient involvement is in pharmacist-led clinical medication reviews and in identifying the most significant clinical drug-related problems (DRPs)., Methods: Pharmacist-led clinical medication reviews were conducted with 161 consenting patients aged ≥75 years with at least seven prescribed medicines, living independently at home in Finland. A pharmacist, a nurse and a physician evaluated the clinical significance of the DRPs identified during the patient interview at an interprofessional case conference. It was evaluated whether the most significant clinical DRPs could also have been identified through reviewing the medication list only or the medication list and certain patient details., Results: Altogether, the 111 most significant clinical DRPs were evaluated. Only 6% could have been identified through reviewing the medication list only, and 16% through reviewing the medication list and certain patient details. Hence, 84% of the most significant clinical DRPs could only have been identified with patient involvement. The most common DRPs were: poor therapy control (25%); nonoptimal drug (22%); intentional nonadherence (12%); and additional drug needed (11%). patient involvement was critical when identifying DRPs related to additional drug needed, unintentional nonadherence, use of over-the-counter medicines or dietary supplements, or contradictions in counselling., Conclusion: Patient involvement is essential when identifying clinical DRPs. Indeed, poor therapy control, nonoptimal drug use, intentional or unintentional nonadherence might otherwise be missed., (© 2018 The British Pharmacological Society.)

Background: Clinical medication reviews (CMR) are increasingly performed in older patients with polypharmacy. Studies have shown positive effects of CMR on process- and intermediate outcomes, like drug-related problems (DRPs). Little effect has been shown on clinical outcomes, like hospital admissions or health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). In particular, HR-QoL is related to the individual health-related goals and complaints of patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a CMR focused on personal goals on HR-QoL and health-related complaints in older patients with polypharmacy., Methods: A randomised controlled trial will be performed in 35 Dutch community pharmacies aiming to include 630 patients aged 70 years and older using seven or more chronic drugs. Patients will be randomly assigned to control or intervention group by block-randomisation per pharmacy. Patients in the intervention group receive a CMR focused on patients' preferences, personal goals and health-related complaints. With every goal a goal attainment scale (GAS) will be proposed. Primary outcome measures are HR-QoL, measured with the EQ-5D-5L and EQ-VAS and the number of health-related complaints per patient measured with a written questionnaire, during a follow-up period of six months. Secondary outcomes are healthcare utilisation, number and type of drug changes, number and type of health-related goals, scores on GAS and number and type of DRPs and interventions., Discussion: This study is expected to add evidence on the effects of a CMR on HR-QoL and health-related complaints in older patients with polypharmacy. New in this study is the use of personal goals measured with GAS and health-related complaints as patient-related outcome measures., Trial Registration: Netherlands Trial Register; NTR5713 .

Administrative data are often used as a proxy for medication-administration record (MAR) data. Multicenter MAR data were compared retrospectively with administrative data from January 2010 through June 2013 from the Pediatric Health Information Systems database. We found that administrative data were more concordant with bill-upon-administration than bill-upon-dispense data.

Background: Being aware of consumption patterns of antimicrobials is the first step in designing and implementing strategies to change behaviors and, thus, to reduce the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance. The present survey was carried out to identify and describe the use of antimicrobials without prescription in riverside dwellers of the Brazilian Amazon Basin., Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from a conglomerate stratified sample in the rural municipality of Coari, Amazonas State, Brazil, between April and July 2016. The survey was conducted in the riverside dwellers' homes, and information was collected on all antimicrobials taken with and without medical or dental prescription for a 30-day period, together with indications of their use before the interview., Results: A total of 492 riverside dwellers were included in the present survey; 346 (70.3%) had taken at least one medication during the previous month, and 74 (21.3% of those taking a medicine) used an antimicrobial. Two-thirds of the patients treated with an antimicrobial (49; 66.2%) obtained it without a prescription. Additionally, one-third of the antimicrobials consumed by the study sample (25) were used for non-infectious or non-bacterial conditions., Discussion: The present survey showed not only that inappropriate use of antimicrobials is present in remote places such as the Amazon Basin, but also that one-third of those antimicrobials were taken to treat non-infectious or non-bacterial conditions. In addition to an unnecessary risk of adverse effects to the exposed populations, the inappropriate use of antibiotics without prescription helps to increase antibiotic-resistant strains. In the present case, this was happening near one of Latin America's most important water supplies, which could contribute to the global impact of antimicrobial resistance., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.