Evaluating the Impact of Interventions and Improvements in Outpatient Intravenous Infusion Therapy at a Hospital in China: A Comprehensive Analysis of Prescription Patterns and Safety Measures

Ran Sang,1,2 Manxue Jiang,1,2 Qiuju Zhao,2 Lingti Kong1,2 1Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233004, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Pharmacy, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233030, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Lingti Kong, Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, 287 Changhuai Road, Longzihu District, Bengbu, Anhui, 233004, People’s Republic of China, Tel +865523086297, Email konglingtiklt7@126.comBackground: The excessive use of intravenous infusion in China was once a serious problem, but in recent years, attention has been paid to the phenomenon, and the government has implemented several policies to solve the problem, which has been gradually improved.Aim: This study focuses on evaluating the impact of ongoing interventions and improvements in outpatient intravenous infusion therapy.Methods: From January 2016 to December 2022, we conducted a study to gather annual data on intravenous infusion prescriptions. A data questionnaire, encompassing information on departments, clinical diagnosis, and infusion drugs, was developed for this purpose. We analyzed the changing trends of Top 10 clinical departments with higher intravenous infusion usage rates and Top 10 drugs used. We also evaluated the compliance of intravenous infusion prescriptions with management regulations and drug instructions, for further intervention in the future.Results: The analysis of intravenous infusion prescription rates revealed a gradual decrease from 10.89% to 5.63%. This reduction was statistically significant (P < 0.05). High levels of intravenous infusion use were consistently observed in emergency surgery and emergency medicine. Commonly administered drugs via infusion included antibacterial drugs, tumor medications, proton pump inhibitors, and injections of traditional Chinese medicine. Inappropriate prescriptions are often characterized by issues related to drug dosage, usage, indication, and selection. Trend analysis of unreasonable types revealed significant improvements in “Diagnosis incomplete/unwritten”, “Solvent selection”, “Dosing frequency”, and “Treatment without indication” (P < 0.05).Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate a gradual improvement in the situation regarding intravenous infusion. However, there are still prevalent instances of unreasonable practices that need to be addressed.Keywords: cross-sectional study, evaluation, analysis, intravenous infusion prescriptions, outpatient