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Objectives: Drug-related problems (DRPs) are a well-known cause of emergency department (ED) visits. The objective of the FARM-URG project was to assess the prevalence of DRPs using an annual cross-sectional registry. Herein we report results of the first 3 years, indicating the prevalence of DRPs, drugs involved, and patient characteristics. Methods: A point-prevalence multicenter study was conducted across EDs of hospitals in Spain. A specified day and hour was assigned to collect data from all adult patients attending the ED due to DRPs during three consecutive years. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed, with data recorded in REDCap. Key findings: Overall, 4752 patients were evaluated at 32 centres, of which 366 (7.7%) visited the ED due to DRPs, with a prevalence ranging from 0 to 16.7%. Antithrombotic drugs accounted for the highest number of DRPs, responsible for 96 (26.8%) episodes. Falls (n = 29; 8.0%) were the most frequent DRPs, followed by haemorrhage (n = 26; 7.12%). Furthermore, 198 (54.2%) reported DRPs were unrelated to medication errors, 80 (21.2%) were overdose errors, and 40 (11.0%) were attributed to poor treatment adherence. Of 366 DRPs-related visits, 54 (14.8%) were due to inappropriately prescribed drugs according to the STOPP-START criteria. Overall, 86 (23.5%) patients revisited the ED within 30 days of discharge, with 34 (9.4%) returning to the ED for new DRPs. Conclusions: DRPs are frequently responsible for ED visits and are associated with a considerable percentage of post-discharge visits. The goal of the FARM-URG project is to periodically gather data to design and implement preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lyme borreliosis (LB) is a tick-borne zoonotic disease endemic in many European countries, including Finland. We describe the incidence, time trends, and geographical distribution of LB in Finland for the period 2015-2020. The data generated can help inform public health policy, including prevention strategies. Methods: We retrieved online-available LB cases and incidence from two Finnish national databases. Microbiologically confirmed LB cases were identified from the National Infectious Disease Register and clinically diagnosed LB cases from the National Register of Primary Health Care Visits (Avohilmo), with the total LB cases equal to the sum from these two sources. Results: A total of 33,185 LB cases were reported for the 2015-2020 period, of which 12,590 (38%) were microbiologically confirmed and 20,595 (62%) were clinically diagnosed. The average annual national incidences for total, microbiologically confirmed, and clinically diagnosed LB were, respectively, 99.6, 38.1, and 61.4 per 100,000 population. The total LB incidence was highest in the south to southwestern coastal areas by the Baltic Sea and in eastern areas, with average annual incidences of 109.0 to 207.3/100,000. The Åland Islands were a hyperendemic region with an average annual incidence of 2473.9/100,000. The highest incidence was among persons aged >60 years, peaking at age 70-74 years. Most cases were reported between May and October, with a peak in July and August. Conclusions: The incidence of LB varied substantially by hospital district, and many regions reached incidences comparable with other high incidence countries, suggesting preventive measures such as vaccines may be an efficient use of resources.