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Seizure disorder and developmental disorder are two of the most common chronic disorders in childhood. Data on perceived parental burden and specific effects on daily life is scarce. We performed a structured interview, consecutively talking to all parents of pediatric outpatients of our university hospital diagnosed with seizure or developmental disorder. Three hundred seven parents (of 317 affected children: 53 with seizure disorder, 44 with specific developmental disorder, 35 with learning disorder, 71 with intellectual disability, 15 with seizure + specific developmental disorder, 23 with seizure + learning disorder, 76 with seizure disorder + intellectual disability) were interviewed. Parents of children with both seizure disorder and intellectual disability stated the highest constraints in daily life, regarding friends, hobbies, emotional pressure, occupation, partnership, habitation, and financial burden. Due to diagnosis of seizure or developmental disorder, 155/307 (51%) parents reduced their working hours/stopped working, 62/307 (20%) changed their habitation, and 46/307 (15%) broke up. As judged by parents, 148/317 (47%) children are being discriminated against, even own family/friends and educators are held responsible.Parents perceive changes in their daily life and discrimination of their children due to their children's seizure and developmental disorders. An intellectual disability combined with seizure disorder caused the highest constraint. What is Known: • Seizure and/or developmental disorders of children may adversely influence quality of life for affected parents. • Caring for a child with special health care needs can take complete attention and own parental needs may therefore be difficult to meet. What is New: • Two out of three parents stated changes of their daily life such as quitting work, change of habitation, or breakup of partnership due to their child's diagnosis. • As judged by the parents, one in two children with developmental disorder of any kind is being discriminated against, even teachers and own family are held responsible.

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Durch intensive pharmazeutische und arztliche Betreuung von Patienten konnen arzneimittelbezogene Probleme (AbP) im Krankenhaus reduziert werden. Eine Nachverfolgung der daraus resultierenden Medikationsanderungen in den poststationaren Sektor ist mit bisherigen Methoden anfallig fur systematische Verzerrungen. Die Verwendung eines patientenindividuellen Datenlinkage aus Routinedaten der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung (GKV) und stationaren Krankenhausdaten soll auf seine Machbarkeit untersucht werden. Methode In sechs sachsischen Krankenhausern wurden konsekutiv Patienten nach deren schriftlicher Einwilligung je nach Zeitpunkt der Krankenhauseinweisung in eine Kontroll- (KK) und eine Interventionskohorte (IK) aufgenommen. Krankenhausapotheker erfassten die Arzneimittel am Tag der Hospitalisierung, die Medikation aus dem Entlassbrief sowie AbP nach vorgegebenen Kriterien. In der IK und bei potentiell lebensbedrohlichen AbP wurden dem behandelnden Krankenhausarzt Medikationsanderungen empfohlen. Diesen stationaren Daten wurden patientenindividuell Arzneimittelverordnungsdaten einer GKV fur den Zeitraum sechs Monate vor und nach der stationaren Therapie zugeordnet (Datenlinkage). Ausgewertet wurden die Datenkonsistenz innerhalb des Datenlinkage und die Pravalenz der stationar detektierten AbP im poststationaren Sektor. Ergebnisse Es wurden 532 (KK/IK 280/252) Patienten rekrutiert. Eine Zusammenfuhrung von Krankenhausverordnungsdaten und Arzneimittelverordnungsdaten einer GKV war anhand der Versichertennummer fur 97,0% (KK) bzw. 96,6% (IK) der Patienten moglich. Insgesamt wurden 318 AbP (KK/IK 176/142) detektiert. Aufgrund eingeschrankter Erstattungsfahigkeit von Arzneimitteln waren 22 (12,5%, KK) und 13 (9,2%, IK) AbP poststationar nicht auswertbar. In den poststationaren Routinedaten gab es keinen signifikanten Unterschied zwischen KK (ohne Intervention) und IK (nach Intervention) in der Pravalenz stationar detektierter AbP (43,4% vs 38,1%; p=0,472). Schlussfolgerung Das Datenlinkage der stationaren Arzneimittelverordnungsdaten mit den GKV-Daten war annahernd fur alle Patienten moglich. Aufgrund des geringeren Datenverlusts in der Nachbeobachtung war das Risiko fur systematische Verzerrungen niedriger als bei vergleichbaren Studien. Der erwartete Unterschied zwischen KK und IK konnte im Rahmen dieser Machbarkeitsanalyse nicht statistisch gezeigt werden.

The aim of this study was to assess the public's opinions and expectations of self-medication consultations in German community pharmacies with special emphasis on the acceptance of guideline-recommended consultation. In a cross-sectional study in the city centre of Leipzig, Germany, we conducted a questionnaire-based survey administered via an interview with passers-by from June to September 2018. The structured questionnaire contained questions assessing (I) previous experience with self-medication consultations, (II) possible reasons for declining self-medication consultations, (III) the attitude towards information gathering and (IV) expectations of self-medication consultations. (I) 92% of the 963 respondents stated they were generally satisfied with self-medication consultations in community pharmacies. Around one-fifth of all respondents claimed that they would like to be asked more health-related questions (22%) and receive more information on non-prescription drugs (20%). (II) Privacy issues (39%) and reluctance to talk about some medical conditions (43%) were the most frequent reasons for declining self-medication consultation. (III) Respondents understood the need for answering guideline-recommended questions (85-96%) and did not mind being asked these questions (70-96%). (IV) Most of the respondents expected to be counselled even if they did not ask for it directly (69%). Pharmacies were further expected to recommend the best drug, even if it was not what the customer initially intended to buy (87%). However, more than half of the respondents would consider counselling as unimportant if they knew exactly which medication they wanted to buy (56%) or if they had used the non-prescription drug before (70%). The majority also expected to receive guideline-recommended drug information (each item at least 52%). Thus, our study shows that respondents were mostly in line with the required standards of self-medication counselling guidelines. Customers expect high-quality counselling on self-medication. These findings support pharmaceutical staff's understanding of customers' barriers and expectations during self-medication consultations.

Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists play a key role in the treatment of children with epilepsy. We performed a survey of therapists' knowledge of and attitudes towards epilepsy in two regions of Germany, the city of Leipzig and the rural district of Zwickau. Therapists of 29/68 (43%) outpatient practices and 4/9 (44%) hospitals took part. In total, 195 therapists participated: 63 (32%) physiotherapists, 74 (38%) occupational therapists, and 58 (30%) speech therapist. In 65%, epilepsy was subject of vocational training. Of all therapists, 8% claimed they had not treated epilepsy patients so far. During professional life, 43% had witnessed a seizure. Of all therapists, 44% correctly assumed a seizure could result in death. During a seizure, 42% would perform the obsolete measure of placing something solid in the patient's mouth, and 41% would administer a prescribed rescue medication. More information on epilepsy was requested by 92%.Conclusion: Most therapists treat patients with epilepsy, and almost half have already witnessed a seizure. Often, however, epilepsy is not subject of vocational training. The risk of a fatal outcome of a seizure is underestimated, and many therapists would perform obsolete measures. Knowledge of seizure management should be transmitted to therapists especially during vocational training.

What is known and objective Evidence from clinical trials should form the foundation of healthcare advice. Comparatively little has been investigated about the implementation of evidence in over-the-counter (OTC) counselling in community pharmacies. The objective of this study was to explore the current impact of clinical trials on OTC counselling from the perspective of pharmaceutical staff. Methods Pharmaceutical staff in German community pharmacies were invited to participate in a nationwide cross-sectional survey using SoSci Survey. Within the questionnaire, the following items were queried: (i) attitudes towards influencing factors on OTC drug recommendation, (ii) practical procedure of OTC drug recommendations, (iii) experiences and challenges in handling clinical trials, and (iv) current and desired continuing education on self-medication. Multiple logistic regression was employed to identify predictors for OTC recommendations based on clinical trials in routine. Results and discussion In total, 1068 participants completed the survey. (i) Clinical trial data were rated as 'very important' for drug recommendations by 33% and as 'rather important' by 50%. (ii) 8% reported that they base their recommendations on clinical trial data 'in almost all consultations', 40% 'in most consultations'. (iii) 69% faced difficulties in including clinical trial data into their counselling. (iv) 7% read original clinical trials at least once a month. Predictors for routine OTC recommendations based on clinical trials were as follows: male gender, university degree, clinical trials considered to be important for recommendations, inclusion of clinical trials in counselling assessed as easy, higher frequency of reading specialized literature per year, increasing number of working pharmacists in the pharmacy, and more casual than regular customers in the pharmacy. What is new and conclusion Most of the pharmaceutical staff recognize the importance of clinical studies for self-medication advice. Based on self-report, however, clinical trial data are not taken routinely into account in practice. Only a minor proportion of staff routinely deal with studies. Therefore, appropriate instruments are required to make knowledge from clinical trials available in community pharmacies.

Epilepsy is a life-changing disease, and patients with epilepsy may face a number of issues. Paediatricians and general practitioners are often the first to be asked for advice. This cross-sectional study was performed to gain information on the knowledge and experiences of paediatricians and general practitioners on epilepsy. From September 2015 to July 2017, paediatricians and general practitioners in Leipzig, Germany, were asked to take part in a face-to-face interview. Overall, 40 paediatricians and 60 general practitioners participated in the study. A total of 99/100 (99%) kept emergency medication available and 96/100 (96%) would administer it during a seizure. Also, 40/40 (100%) of the paediatricians and 34/60 (57%) of the general practitioners recommended that non-professionals should administer emergency medication, and 18/40 (45%) of the paediatricians and 35/60 (58%) of the general practitioners would put an object in the patient's mouth during a seizure. With regards to safety precautions, paediatricians mentioned the risks associated with swimming (30/40; 75%) and the potential of falling from a height (23/40; 58%), whereas general practitioners focused on being around vehicles including driving regulations (43/60; 72%). Only 5/60 (8%) of the general practitioners advised that precautions should be taken during swimming. Fatigue/exhaustion was the most common adverse drug event associated with long-term anticonvulsive therapy mentioned by paediatricians (13/40; 33%) and general practitioners (27/60; 45%). Of all the participants, 23/100 (23%) recommended epilepsy training programmes for patients and families, however, none were able to name a specific programme. Nearly half of the general practitioners did not recommend the use of rescue medication by non-professionals. This measure, however, can prevent the occurrence of prolonged non-treatable seizures. Both paediatricians and general practitioners should bear in mind that placing an object in the mouth during a seizure should be avoided due to the risk of additional injury. To reduce the risk of drowning, physicians should recommend safety precautions during swimming. Information on epilepsy training programmes for patients and families should be diffused to all physicians taking care of patients with epilepsy.

The management of atopic diseases such as severe asthma, severe atopic dermatitis, and severe food allergy in childhood is challenging. In particular, there are safety concerns regarding the use of high-dose corticosteroids. The recent development of biologicals and their approval for the treatment of children offer a new, very promising, and more personalized therapy option. Omalizumab, mepolizumab, and dupilumab are currently approved as add-on treatments of severe asthma in children and have been shown to be effective in improvement of asthma control and reduction of exacerbations. Dupilumab is the only biological approved for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in adolescents so far. It has been demonstrated to significantly improve symptoms of atopic dermatitis.However, safety data for biologicals used in atopic diseases in children and adolescents are still very limited. Biologicals are generally considered to be safe in adults. These data are often extrapolated to children. Additionally, data for long-term use are lacking. Thus, the safety profiles of those biologicals cannot yet be conclusively assessed.

Little is known about university students' knowledge of and attitudes towards epilepsy.We invited first- and second-year students of different study subjects at Rostock University to complete a questionnaire.Overall, 497 students took part in the survey (209 medicine, 105 theology, 94 primary education, 89 computer science). Of all students, 38.0% knew someone with epilepsy, and 27.2% had already witnessed a seizure. Fewer computer science students than medical students knew someone with epilepsy (p = 0.002) and had witnessed a seizure (p 0.001). From five presented symptoms, all were correctly assigned to a possible seizure by 27.0% of all students. If they had epilepsy themselves, 43.7% would tell their fellow students about it; and 76.1% would definitely be friends with someone with epilepsy, and 53.7% would definitely date a person with epilepsy. On a 5-point Likert scale, computer science students expressed less willingness to be friends with (p 0.001) or to date someone with epilepsy (p = 0.004) than medical students. The willingness of theology and primary education students did not significantly differ from that of medical students. We found no statistical differences between medical students and the other student groups for correct assignment of all symptoms and the readiness to tell others if they had epilepsy themselves.First- and second-year students showed gaps in knowledge and reservations about people with epilepsy, regardless of their study subject. However, computer science students have had particularly little contact with people with epilepsy and expressed less positive attitudes. Medical students, on the other hand, hardly differed from students of theology and primary education.

Background Pharmacist-led medication reviews have shown to prevent drug-related problems (DRPs). So far, data is rare about the implementation in routine care, the conditions for intensifying this service and the practical skills of community pharmacists to perform medication reviews. Objective To assess the current status of medication review implementation in German community pharmacies and the performance of identifying DRPs in a ficticious patient example. Setting German community pharmacies. Method An online survey was conducted from July to September 2015 including questions about medication reviews currently performed in routine care of community pharmacies and hidden DRPs in a ficticious patient example. Pharmacists were invited via newsletters from three local chambers of pharmacists. Main outcome measure (i) Frequency, conditions for implementation, and criteria of medication reviews currently being performed in routine care, (ii) requested further information to perform medication reviews, and (iii) proportion of pharmacists who identify DRPs in the patient example. Results A total of 143 community pharmacists completed the questionnaire. (i) One hundred and twenty-seven respondents (89 %) reported reviewing the medication regularly in routine care, whereas 56 (39 %) stated that they performed medication reviews between one and five times monthly. For 124 pharmacists (87 %), remuneration would be a necessary condition for performing medication reviews more frequently. When reviewing the medication, 112 (78 %) of the pharmacists considered the criterion 'drug-drug interactions' and 107 (75 %) reviewed the criterion 'correct dosage'. One of the least reviewed criteria was 'effectiveness of medication' [22 (16 %)]. (ii) According to the participants, laboratory values should be available in the community pharmacy, since 87/143 (61 %) would appreciate the GFR and the HbA1c level. Twenty-two of 54 respondents (41 %) would appreciate further administration instructions and 5 of 54 (15 %) think they would benefit from information about the recommended duration of drug use. (iii) Depending on the category, 4 (3 %) to 49 (34 %) of all 143 pharmacists identified the hidden DRP in the patient example. Conclusion German community pharmacists reported reviewing the medication of their patients regularly; however, most of the respondents review the medication very rarely in routine care. Consequently, their practical performance needs to be improved.

Hintergrund | Mangelndes Wissen des Patienten uber die Entlassungsmedikation kann die Patientensicherheit gefahrden. Dies gilt insbesondere, wenn Arzneimittel zur Weiterverordnung empfohlen werden, die stationar neu angesetzt wurden oder mit einem besonders hohen Potenzial fur unerwunschte Arzneimittelwirkungen (Risikoarzneimittel) verbunden sind. Ziel dieser Studie war es, den Wissensstand von Patienten uber die Entlassungsmedikation zu untersuchen und Einflussfaktoren auf diesen zu identifizieren. Methodik | In einer bizentrischen Erhebung wurden Patienten vor Entlassung aus einem Akut- und einem geriatrischen Rehabilitationskrankenhaus in einem strukturierten Interview zu ihrer Entlassungsmedikation befragt. Potenzielle Einflussfaktoren auf den Wissensstand wurden statistisch mittels Tobit-Regression untersucht. Ergebnisse | Insgesamt wurden 179 Patienten befragt. Die Patienten benannten im Mittel 48 % ihrer Entlassungsmedikamente zutreffend (95 %-Konfidenzintervall 46–50 %). Als Einflussfaktoren fur Wissensdefizite wurde ein fehlender Medikationsplan, hoheres Lebensalter, Hospitalisierung in einem Rehabilitationskrankenhaus und eine langere Hospitalisierung identifiziert. Bei 81 % der Patienten wurde in der Entlassungsmedikation mindestens ein stationar neu angesetztes Arzneimittel zur ambulanten Weiterbehandlung empfohlen. Davon wurden 11 % zutreffend benannt. Die Wirkstarke war bei 6 %, der Anwendungsgrund bei 8 % zutreffend. Fur knapp zwei Drittel der Patienten wurde im Arztbrief mindestens ein Risikoarzneimittel empfohlen, am haufigsten orale Antikoagulanzien und Opioidanalgetika. Von diesen wurden 38 % zutreffend benannt. Diskussion | Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen einen hohen Schulungsbedarf der Patienten uber die Entlassungsmedikation, insbesondere wenn diese stationar neu angesetzte oder risikobehaftete Arzneimittel enthalt. Dabei sollten altere Patienten, die in einem Rehabilitationskrankenhaus und insgesamt langer hospitalisiert sind, besonders intensiv beraten werden und einen Medikationsplan bei Entlassung erhalten.

Problem Children suffering from epilepsy face severe difficulties in daily life. However, data about the self-assessment of children are scarce. Methods From October 2013 to February 2014, patients aged 6–18 years suffering from epilepsy were consecutively invited (i) to take part in a structured interview and (ii) to draw a picture about their self-assessment of epilepsy. Results Eighty-four children and their parents agreed to participate: (i) 63/84 (75%) of the children named their disease correctly; contagiousness was assumed by 8/84 (10%); 81/84 (96%) knew whether they have to take medication; 36/69 (52%) of the children taking long-term medication reported the name(s) of their medication; 8/69 (12%) believed that their medication will cure their disease; 45/84 (54%) named specific precautions to prevent harm from seizures; 6/84 (7%) believed that nonadherence to safety precautions would cause new seizures; and 23/84 (27%) believed that they are worse off than healthy children. (ii) 67/84 (80%) drew a picture titled “This is how I feel when I have a seizure”. Specific symptoms [17/67 (25%)] and the interaction between child and environment [12/67 (18%)] were the most common subjects. Conclusion Most children with epilepsy had rather good knowledge about medication; half of the children knew specific safety precautions. The children were often able to describe their seizures well. Pictures drawn by patients can give an insight into their experiences. Teaching programs should, among others, address the fear of contagiousness of epilepsy in some children and the fact that children with epilepsy might feel disadvantaged.

Background The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is popular. Parents of children suffering from epilepsy may also consider administering CAM to their children. Systematic data about frequency of and motivations for CAM use, however, are scarce. Methods In a university hospital's neuropaediatric department parents of patients aged 0–18 years suffering from epilepsy were consecutively invited to take part in a structured interview during 4 months in 2014. Results Of the invited parents, 164/165 (99%) agreed to participate. From those, 21/164 (13%) stated that they used CAM in their child. The highest independent predictive value of CAM use was the occurrence of adverse drug events (ADE) of anticonvulsants as judged by parents. Patients affected by ADE had a 5.6 higher chance of receiving CAM compared to patients without ADE. Most commonly used were homeopathy (14/21, 67%) and osteopathy (12/21, 57%). The internet was the most frequently used source of information (14/21, 67%). Of the parents, 10/21 (48%) described positive effects of CAM on seizure frequency, 12/21 (57%) on general condition of their child, and 20/21 (95%) wished to continue CAM for epilepsy therapy. From the non-users of CAM, 91/143 (66%) expressed the desire to learn more about CAM for epilepsy therapy. Limitations Our study was performed in a university hospital in a large urban city in Eastern Germany. CAM user rates can differ in other parts of Germany and Europe, in other institutions and for chronic diseases other than epilepsy. Conclusion The main reason for CAM use was the occurrence of ADE of anticonvulsants. More than half of the parents saw a benefit of CAM for their children. Almost all parents wished to continue CAM use, even those who did not see concrete positive effects.

Purpose Although sales of prescribed and over-the-counter (OTC) medication are rising, little is known about individual drug intake. This study was aimed to obtain complementary information about drug intake. Method Information on drug utilization was obtained in a female cohort for five different time points (TP): 36th week of pregnancy (n = 622), 7th perinatal week (n = 533), 3rd perinatal month (n = 340), and 1st perinatal (n = 534) and 3rd perinatal year (n = 324) by a validated urine screening method. Results Drugs were detected 807 times among all analyzed samples (n = 2353) with less drug intake for early TP compared with later TP (~24.4%, n = 152; ~33.8%, n = 180; ~23.2%, n = 79; ~42.5%, n = 227; and ~52.2%, n = 169). The diversity of drugs increased from 25 up to 40 different drugs for the investigated period. OTC drugs were detected most frequently reflected by the top three drugs: acetaminophen (~37%, n = 292), ibuprofen (~23%, n = 183), and xylometazoline (~12%, n = 98). Mainly guideline-orientated drug therapy was observed. However, contraindicated ibuprofen intake during third trimester urine samples (n = 26) and a repeated usage of acetaminophen and/or ibuprofen (n = 9), as well as xylometazoline (n = 7), reveal missing information about drug safety. Conclusion Bio monitoring was applied for detection of drug intake revealing a lack of information about OTC products and their health risks. Hence, information about health risks for certain drugs and patient groups must be improved for and by pharmacists, to avoid (i) usage of contraindicated drugs and (ii) abuse of OTC drugs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Changes in drug therapy at intersectoral interfaces can lead to clinically relevant drug-related problems. This study aimed, therefore, at comparing the drug prescription continuity of patients with and without a medication plan at hospital admission. After ethical approval, patients of a health insurance company in 6 hospitals in Saxony were consecutively assigned to this study from November 2011 to January 2012 after written informed consent. We assessed the following drug-related data for patients with and without medication plan at hospital admission: (i) the medication prescribed by the hospital physician on the day of hospital admission and (ii) the medication of the hospital discharge letter. Patient-individual claims data were assigned to the inpatient data for a period of 6 months before and after inpatient treatment (data linkage). Of the 279 study participants, 173 (62 %) used a medication plan at hospital admission. Patients with a medication plan had a statistically significantly older age, higher numbers of drugs and diagnoses and fewer emergency admissions. At admission 53 % of the drugs were continued in patients with medication plan and 40 % in patients without a medication plan (p 0.001). At hospital discharge 66 % and 64 % were continued after discharge (n. s.). Medication plans were mostly written by their GP (38 %) and in 12 % by the patients themselves. Even before implementation of the national medication plan, nearly two third of the patients had a medication plan at hospital admission. However, in many cases it had been prepared by the patients themselves. The existence of a medication plan can have an impact on the continuity of the drug prescription during hospitalisation but not after discharge. Veränderungen der Arzneimitteltherapie an intersektoralen Schnittstellen können zu klinisch relevanten arzneimittelbezogenen Problemen führen. Ziel dieser Studie war ein Vergleich der Kontinuität in der Arzneimittelverordnung von Patienten mit und ohne Medikationsplan (MP) bei Krankenhausaufnahme. Nach Erhalt des Ethikvotums wurden in 6 Krankenhäusern in Sachsen von November 2011 bis Januar 2012 konsekutiv Patienten einer gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung (GKV) nach schriftlicher Einwilligung aufgenommen. Für Patienten mit und ohne MP bei Krankenhausaufnahme wurden diese Daten ausgewertet: (1) die am Tag der Krankenhausaufnahme vom Krankenhausarzt verordneten Arzneimittel aus der Patientenkurve, (2) die Arzneimittel des Krankenhausentlassungsbriefes. Diesen Daten wurden patientenbezogene ambulante Arzneimittelverordnungsdaten einer GKV für den Zeitraum 6 Monate vor und nach der stationären Therapie zugeordnet (Datenlinkage). Bei 173 (62 %) der 279 Studienteilnehmer lag ein MP bei Krankenhausaufnahme vor. Patienten mit MP hatten ein statistisch signifikant höheres Lebensalter, eine höhere Anzahl an Arzneimitteln und Diagnosen und wurden bei diesem Krankenhausaufenthalt seltener als Notfallbehandlung aufgenommen. Bei Krankenhausaufnahme weitergeführt wurden 53 % der Arzneimittel bei Patienten mit mitgebrachtem MP und 40 % bei Patienten ohne MP (p 0,001). Bei Krankenhausentlassung wurden 66 % bzw. 64 % der Medikation fortgesetzt (n. s.). Am häufigsten wurde der mitgebrachte MP vom Hausarzt erstellt (38 %) und in 12 % vom Patienten selbst. Noch vor der gesetzlich vorgesehenen Einführung des MP besaßen bei Krankenhausaufnahme fast zwei Drittel der Patienten einen MP. Dieser war allerdings in vielen Fällen vom Patienten selbst erstellt worden. Das Vorliegen eines MP kann einen Einfluss auf die Kontinuität der Arzneimittelverordnung im Krankenhaus nehmen, jedoch nicht auf die Weiterverordnung bei Krankenhausentlassung.

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

Epilepsy and bronchial asthma are frequent in adolescents. Data on adolescents' experiences with their disease and on their expectations for the future, however, is scarce. Patients of a university hospital aged 12 to 17 with epilepsy or bronchial asthma were interviewed based on a questionnaire. Forty-five patients with epilepsy and 47 with bronchial asthma were interviewed. Adolescents with epilepsy felt more impaired by their disease (median 2.5; Q25/Q75 0.75/3.0; 6-level Likert scales: 0 = not at all, 5 = very strong) than those with asthma (1.0; 0/3.0; p = 0.017). Seventy-nine patients (85.9%) had never used the Internet to gain information about their disease. Adolescents with epilepsy felt more limited in their career possibilities by their disease (2.0; 0/4.0) than those with asthma (0; 0/2.0; p = 0.001) and had a higher level of concern about passing their disease on to their children (3.0; 0/4.0) than their peers with asthma (1.5; 1.5/3.0; p = 0.016). Girls with epilepsy were more anxious (4.0; 0.5/5.0) than girls with asthma (0; 0/4.0) about complications of the disease regarding pregnancy (p = 0.019).As well adolescents with epilepsy as with asthma described limitations of their daily life and concerns about the future. What is Known: • Epilepsy and bronchial asthma are frequent chronic diseases in adolescents. • Those diseases can affect psychosocial development. What is New: • Adolescents with epilepsy and bronchial asthma described a high burden of their disease, and most adolescents had not used the Internet to inform themselves on their disease. • Especially adolescents with epilepsy fear limitations in their job possibilities, inheritance of their disease and complications in their prospective pregnancy.

The individual fall risk of a patient is often multifactorial. Polymedication contributes to an additional risk of fall-risk-increasing adverse reactions (FRIARs). Previous studies have not sufficiently investigated the complexity facing prescribers when balancing the therapeutic benefits of individual drugs against their potential fall risk. An expert panel identified drugs with FRIARs based on the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC). These FRIARs and other parameters (such as the total number of drugs, dosage, dose adjustments, and drug changes) were then analyzed for their impact on falls in a case-control study using logistic regression. During a 1-year period, 112 (1%) of 11,481 hospital patients experienced at least one fall event. Complete data was available for evaluation from 87 of them (case group). We matched these patients to another 87 patients who had no fall events (control group). FRIAR drugs were more frequently prescribed in the case group (4.26 (Q25–Q75, 3.75–4.78) per patient; p = 0.033) than in the control group (3.48 (2.97–3.99)). Drugs with FRIARs (β = 0.137; p = 0.035) and the total number of FRIARs (β = 0.033; p = 0.031) increased the fall risk. The total number of drugs, dosage, dose adjustments, and drug changes showed no influence. FRIARs were associated with a higher number of falls. To consider FRIARs offers a chance to address the complexity of the individual medication. This data can support future computerized physician order entries with clinical decision support.

Expertise in a variety of fields is required for the diagnostic process of epilepsies in children and adolescents as well as for their treatment with anticonvulsants. Patients benefit in the process from the cooperation of different health care professionals. It is of critical importance for risks to be minimised and for the efficacy shown in controlled clinical trials to be maintained in routine conditions. In the first instance, drug prescription procedures, including the choice of anticonvulsants and combinations of drugs and dosing, have to be considered. The administration of drugs has, of course, also to be taken into account. Only if patients are given their anticonvulsants appropriately, the intended success of the therapy can be accomplished. Strategies aimed at improving drug administration have to be directed not only at nurses but also at parents, children and adolescents themselves, as well as caregivers in schools and children's day-care facilities. By providing theoretical teaching, practical training, and routinely including pharmacists in the therapeutic team, drug-related problems that may result in limited effectiveness and increased risks are prevented. As a result, drug (therapy) safety is not only qualitatively improved, but the degree of participation and quality of life of patients and families is improved as well.Für die Diagnostik von Epilepsien im Kindes- und Jugendalter und deren Behandlung mit Antikonvulsiva ist Expertise in unterschiedlichen Bereichen nötig. Der Patient profitiert dabei vom Zusammenwirken verschiedener Berufsgruppen. Risiken müssen reduziert und die in klinischen Studien gezeigte Wirksamkeit auch in eine möglichst gute Effektivität unter Routinebedingungen umgesetzt werden. Dabei sollten zunächst Aspekte der Arzneimittelverschreibung durch den Arzt berücksichtigt werden, wie etwa die Auswahl, Kombination und Dosierung der Antikonvulsiva. Dabei sollte die Arzneimittelanwendung nicht vergessen werden. Erst, wenn ein Antikonvulsivum richtig angewendet wird, kann der vom verordnenden Arzt gewünschte Therapieerfolg auch erreicht werden. Dabei sollten sich Maßnahmen nicht nur auf den Pflegedienst, sondern auch auf die Eltern, die Kinder und Jugendlichen selbst sowie Betreuer in Schulen und Kindertageseinrichtungen erstrecken. Durch theoretische Schulungen, praktische Übungen und regelmäßige Einbindung von Apothekern ins interdisziplinäre Behandlungsteam wird vermeidbaren arzneimittelbezogenen Problemen, die zu mangelnder Effektivität und dem Auftreten erhöhter Risiken führen können, vorgebeugt. Auf diese Weise wird nicht nur die Arzneimittel(therapie)sicherheit qualitativ verbessert, sondern auch die Teilhabe und Lebensqualität der Patienten und deren Familien positiv beeinflusst.

OBJECTIVES: To assess knowledge deficits of patients/parents and prevention strategies. METHODS: After receiving ethics approval, we performed a controlled, quasi-randomised, prospective intervention study. We enrolled patients/parents involved in managing oral medicines in three groups: control (routine care only), handbook intervention and pharmaceutical counselling intervention group. At baseline and after the interventions, we assessed patients’/parents’ knowledge deficits (incorrect or missing answers) by questionnaire. RESULTS: We enrolled 64 patients/parents. At baseline, knowledge deficits among the groups were similar: 17% in controls, 22% in the handbook group and 24% in the pharmaceutical counselling group. After the intervention, knowledge deficits decreased to 13% in the handbook group and to 8% in the pharmaceutical counselling group (NS; p=0.003 compared with controls, respectively). For controls, knowledge deficits remained almost unchanged (19%). Results for the pharmaceutical counselling group showed a strong correlation between baseline knowledge deficits and the extent of the deficit decrease after the intervention (τ=−0.74; p

Objective We performed a retrospective chart analysis in neonates routinely treated with levetiracetam (LEV) in a university setting. Patients and Methods We assessed clinical characteristics of the included neonates. Documented LEV doses and the duration of treatment were evaluated. To assess LEV effectiveness, we compared the need of any additional anticonvulsant as co- and rescue therapies before and following the initiation of LEV treatment. To assess LEV tolerance, we sought to identify documented adverse drug reactions resulting in a termination of LEV treatment. Results We analyzed a total of 72 neonates receiving LEV with a median gestational age at initiation of LEV treatment of 30 4/7 gestational weeks (min., 24 5/7 /max., 43 0/7 weeks). LEV was applied in target doses of 41.7 mg/kg/d (min., 14.4/max., 106.2 mg/kg/d). Patients received LEV treatment at hospital for a median of 28 days (min., 1/max., 195 days). Additional anticonvulsant therapy decreased a week after LEV treatment was initiated ( p = 0.008). We did not find any cases of terminated LEV treatment resulting from adverse drug reactions. Conclusion Long term use of high LEV doses is rather frequent in immature neonates. Our data indicate good effectiveness and a low risk of adverse drug reactions.

ProblemSchool and preschool teachers play a key role in the care of children with epilepsy. Yet, data about their knowledge on epilepsy are scarce.MethodsAssessment of knowledge and attitudes towards epilepsy in teachers by conducting a questionnaire survey in Leipzig and Blankenburg, Germany, from August 2013 to January 2014.Results1243 questionnaires were completed by 302 school teachers, 883 preschool teachers, 56 students and two unclassified participants. Of the respondents, 140 (11%) stated to have already been actively involved in an epilepsy emergency situation, another 148 (12%) as observers. Only 214 (17%) of respondents felt sufficiently prepared for an emergency. A rescue medication had already been applied by 79 (6%) of respondents; only 186 respondents (15%) stated they would be willing to administer a prescribed rescue medication under any circumstances. In response to an open-ended question about the most common fatal outcomes of a seizure, status epilepticus and drowning were rarely mentioned. 233 (19%) of respondents assumed that epileptic seizures cannot result in death. 606 (49%) of respondents were concerned about the legal repercussions to an incorrect response to a seizure.129/403 (32%) of teachers with >20 years of professional experience claimed never to have had a child suffering from epilepsy in their care, even though the prevalence of childhood epilepsy indicates that they should. In total, 1066 (86%) respondents expressed a desire to gain more knowledge on epilepsy.ConclusionsTraining programmes for teachers should be established. Furthermore, a clear legal regulatory framework needs to be set up.

ZusammenfassungEinleitung: Salbutamol ist wirksam bei akuter bronchialer Obstruktion. Jedoch können Medikationsfehler in der Salbutamoltherapie unerwünschte Arzneimittelereignisse verursachen. Wir untersuchten daher die Verordnung von Salbutamol in der Routineversorgung.Methoden: Wir analysierten Salbutamolverordnungen konsekutiver Patienten einer allgemeinpädiatrischen Station. Wir verglichen die verordneten Tagesdosen mit den empfohlenen Dosierungen in der Fachinformation und der Nationalen Versorgungsleitlinie Asthma. Wir untersuchten die intra- und interindividuale Variabilität der Dosierung.Ergebnisse: Im dreiwöchigen Untersuchungszeitraum erhielten 38 Patienten eine Salbutamoltherapie an insgesamt 137 Behandlungstagen. Wir fanden 94 Tage mit erhöhten Tagesdosen (im Median 3,0-fach, Q25/Q75 1,5/4,7; Max. 8,0-fach) und intra- und interindividuell sehr heterogene Dosierungen (Range 7,3-fach).Diskussion: Die Salbutamoldosierung war häufig erhöht und intra- und interindividuell sehr unterschiedlich. Dies birgt ein Risiko für unerwünschte Arzneimittelereignisse und sollte daher eine erhöhte Aufmerksamkeit erfahren.

Various studies pointed towards a relationship between chronic diseases such as asthma and allergy and environmental risk factors, which are one aspect of the so-called Exposome. These environmental risk factors include also the intake of drugs. One critical step in human development is the prenatal period, in which exposures might have critical impact on the child's health outcome. Thereby, the health effects of drugs taken during gestation are discussed controversially with regard to newborns' disease risk. Due to this, the drug intake of pregnant women in the third trimester was monitored by questionnaire, in addition to biomonitoring using a local birth cohort study, allowing correlations of drug exposure with disease risk. Therefore, 622 urine samples were analyzed by an untargeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) urine screening and the results were compared to self-administered questionnaires. In total, 48% (n = 296) reported an intake of pharmaceuticals, with analgesics as the most frequent reported drug class in addition to dietary supplements. 182 times compounds were detected by urine screening, with analgesics (42%; n = 66) as the predominantly drug class. A comparison of reported and detected drug intake was performed for three different time spans between completion of the questionnaires and urine sampling. Even if the level of accordance was low in general, similar percentages (~25%, ~19%, and ~ 20%) were found for all groups. This study illustrates that a comprehensive evaluation of drug intake is neither achieved by questionnaires nor by biomonitoring alone. Instead, a combination of both monitoring methods, providing complementary information, should be considered.

Objectives We aimed at identifying drug-related problems in pain therapy and assessed the effect of medication management by pharmacists in routine care. Methods We performed a cohort study consisting of a control (no pharmaceutical service) and a medication management group receiving pharmaceutical services including recommendations to physicians. We defined pharmacotherapeutic and administrative drug-related problems in pain therapy and analysed patient charts to assess the outcomes. Active participants in the study were not involved in study assessment. Outcomes were the number of patients and the number of analgesic prescriptions with drug-related problems. Results We analysed 414 medication records (controls: 208, medication management: 206). Our intervention had no influence on the number of patients with drug-related problems following analgesic prescriptions (control: 166/208, 80% vs medication management: 155/206, 75%, p=0.266). In 98 control group patients (47%), we found at least four drug-related problems. This fraction was smaller in the medication management group, with 66 patients (32%; p=0.002). The number of analgesic prescriptions leading to drug-related problems decreased from controls with 381/627 (61%) to 308/654 (47%) in the medication management group (p Conclusions Current pain therapy standards were not strictly adhered to in routine analgesic prescriptions for orthopaedic patients. The inclusion of pharmacists into the team successfully decreased drug-related problems. However, further interventions are required to achieve optimal effects.

Objectives To identify incompatible intravenous drug combinations in routine paediatric intensive care and evaluate physician and nurse knowledge. Methods In a university paediatric intensive care unit, intravenous drug incompatibilities were analysed using a database and physician and nurse knowledge of incompatibilities was assessed using a questionnaire. Results We analysed 665 prescriptions in 87 patients. Incompatible drug administration was identified in 9 (10%) of the 87 patients with a median of 3 different incompatibilities per patient (Q25/Q75: 1/3). We found 26 incompatible combinations. The most frequently involved drugs were cefotaxime, pantoprazole and vancomycin. A median of 10 of the 15 drug combinations were correctly assessed as compatible or incompatible (Q25/Q75: 8/11). Pantoprazole had a low number (20%) of correct answers. Conclusions One in 10 patients in paediatric intensive care was affected by drug incompatibility, with knowledge deficits seen in a third of assessed combinations. This indicates quality improvement strategies should be urgently implemented by pharmacists.

Epinephrine auto-injectors are used for first aid in anaphylactic emergencies by non-healthcare professionals, e.g., (pre-)school teachers. We developed an education session for preschool teachers addressing allergies, anaphylactic emergencies, and administering auto-injectors. We assessed their attitudes and knowledge in allergies and anaphylactic emergency by a questionnaire and monitored their practical performance in administering auto-injectors before the education session, directly after, and 4-12 weeks after the session. From 75 teachers giving their consent to participate, 81% had children with allergies under their supervision and 3% had already administered medication from an available rescue kit. The knowledge of triggers of allergies increased from 9 to 55% directly and to 33% 4-12 weeks after the session (both p 0.001, compared to baseline). Directly after the session, the number of teachers who felt well-prepared for an anaphylactic emergency rose from 11 to 88%, which decreased to 79% 4-12 weeks thereafter (each p 0.001). The number of auto-injector administrations without any drug-related problems increased from 3 to 35% directly after the session and shrunk to 16% 4-12 weeks afterwards (both p 0.025).A single education session substantially improved preschool teachers' attitudes and knowledge in allergies and anaphylactic emergencies. Additionally, their practical performance in auto-injector administration increased. What is Known: • Food allergies are increasing among children. • The knowledge about allergies and anaphylactic emergencies is poor. What is New: • The proportion of teachers who felt well-prepared for an anaphylactic emergency increased after a single education session. • The proportion of auto-injector administrations without any drug-related problems additionally increased due to an education session.

Background The main source of knowledge on adverse drug events (ADE) are physicians' reports in controlled clinical trials. In contrast, little is known about the parents' perception of ADE of anticonvulsants their children receive. Methods After approval by the local ethics committee, we performed a survey in a neuropediatric outpatient clinic of a university hospital. Based on a structured questionnaire, we interviewed parents of children with current anticonvulsant treatment regarding (i) their fears about potential ADE, (ii) experienced ADE according to parents, and (iii) implications of ADE on the child's life. Results Parents of 150 patients took part in the interview. (i) 95 (63.3%) parents expressed fears concerning ADE, mostly liver injury/liver failure (33 [22%]). (ii) 129 (86%) parents reported experienced ADE, mostly sedation (65 [43.3%]) and abnormal behavior (54 [36%]). (iii) Parents reported substantial implications of ADE on the child's daily life for 84 (56%) children, and 63 (42%) parents expressed a negative impact on the child's development. Conclusion We recognized a great discrepancy between those ADE that were feared and those that were experienced. Parents feared life-threatening ADE and experienced less severe ADE that nevertheless have a negative impact on the child's daily life.

Ziel der Studie: Welchen Effekt hat die interdisziplinare Zusammenarbeit mit Pharmazeuten und Psychologen bei depressiven Patienten? Methodik: In einer 3-armigen (jeweils n = 10) randomisierten Pilotstudie wurde die SB (Standardbehandlung) mit SB + MM (pharmazeutisches Medikationsmanagement) und SB + PB (psychologische Beratung) in Bezug auf Anzahl der Arzneimittelwechselwirkungen, Leitlinienkonformitat, Patientenwissen und Medikamentenadharenz (nach MARS) verglichen. Ergebnisse: Die Anzahl der Arzneimittelwechselwirkungen sank durch MM um bis zu 67 % (p Schlussfolgerung: In einer groseren Patientengruppe sollten diese explorativen Ergebnisse nun verifiziert werden.

Aims and objectives To prevent medication errors in drug handling in a paediatric ward. Background One in five preventable adverse drug events in hospitalised children is caused by medication errors. Errors in drug prescription have been studied frequently, but data regarding drug handling, including drug preparation and administration, are scarce. Design A three-step intervention study including monitoring procedure was used to detect and prevent medication errors in drug handling. Methods After approval by the ethics committee, pharmacists monitored drug handling by nurses on an 18-bed paediatric ward in a university hospital prior to and following each intervention step. They also conducted a questionnaire survey aimed at identifying knowledge deficits. Each intervention step targeted different causes of errors. The handout mainly addressed knowledge deficits, the training course addressed errors caused by rule violations and slips, and the reference book addressed knowledge-, memory- and rule-based errors. Results The number of patients who were subjected to at least one medication error in drug handling decreased from 38/43 (88%) to 25/51 (49%) following the third intervention, and the overall frequency of errors decreased from 527 errors in 581 processes (91%) to 116/441 (26%). The issue of the handout reduced medication errors caused by knowledge deficits regarding, for instance, the correct ‘volume of solvent for IV drugs’ from 49–25%. Conclusion Paediatric drug handling is prone to errors. A three-step intervention effectively decreased the high frequency of medication errors by addressing the diversity of their causes. Relevance to clinical practice Worldwide, nurses are in charge of drug handling, which constitutes an error-prone but often-neglected step in drug therapy. Detection and prevention of errors in daily routine is necessary for a safe and effective drug therapy. Our three-step intervention reduced errors and is suitable to be tested in other wards and settings.

Aim In Germany, preschool teachers supervise children up to six years of age and are also responsible for supervising older pupils after school. This study explored the impact of a teaching session on epilepsy for teachers in charge of children from 1-10 years of age. Methods We evaluated the benefit of a teaching session offered to all preschool teachers in Leipzig, Germany, in 2014-2015, by asking them to complete the same questionnaire 12-24 months pre-intervention, and 12 months post-intervention. Results Both questionnaires were completed by 123 teachers. The number of teachers who felt they were prepared to handle an acute seizure rose from 36 (29%) pre-intervention to 65 (53%) post-intervention (p

Background Geriatric patients bear a high risk for having drug-related problems (DRPs). Transitions of care are especially susceptible to these DRPs. Objective To highlight the prevalence of DRPs in geriatric patients' post-discharge medication lists and to assess physicians' ability to identify DRPs by using clinical case scenarios. Methods A sequential prospective mixed-method study was performed. In a DRP prevalence analysis, an expert panel of clinical pharmacists analyzed DRPs in post-discharge medication lists of long-term hospitalized patients from a German inpatient geriatric rehabilitation center. Based on these results, the expert panel created two clinical case scenarios with applicable medication history. The cases were reflective of the most commonly identified DRPs. They were provided to hospital physicians and general practitioners (GPs) for assessment. Physicians were asked whether they approve the prescriptions in the clinical case scenarios. If a physician had not identified a prescription containing a defined DRP, the clinical pharmacist then provided drug information about it. With this, physicians' ability to identify DRPs and their response to a theoretical intervention was assessed. Results DRP prevalence analysis: A total of 639 prescriptions were analyzed from 63 enrolled patients of whom 52 (83%) were affected by at least one DRP. Twenty-eight hospital physicians and 26 GPs have been assessed. They identified 172 (46%) from 378 possible DRPs (seven DRPs multiplied by 54 physicians). For unidentified DRPs, physicians received tailored drug information and the number of identified DRPs rose to 298 (79%). Conclusions A clear majority of patients were affected by DRPs. However, the results from the following pilot study confirm that many DRPs at care transitions can be reduced by providing applicable medication history and drug information. This intervention can be done by clinical pharmacists as part of the multidisciplinary care team in routine care. Synopsis Geriatric patients bear a high risk for having drug-related problems (DRPs). Strategies to protect them are needed, especially during transitions of care due to information and knowledge gaps. Therefore a sequential prospective mixed method study was performed. Initial post-discharge medication lists of geriatric patients were analyzed for DRPs with 83% of patients being affected. Afterwards, physicians' ability to identify DRPs was assessed based on clinical case scenarios. These clinical case scenarios included an applicable medication history and tailored drug information was provided. Under these conditions, physicians identified many of the defined DRPs.

BACKGROUND Patients' drug regimens often need to be changed when they pass from one care sector to another, but these changes sometimes pose a safety risk. To avoid such risks, a new inter-sector transition concept was developed incorporating discharge medication plans and counseling modules for the patients themselves and the doctors receiving them into their care. METHODS A prospective interventional trial was carried out in two internal medicine wards of a general hospital. After data acquisition from the control group, the transition concept was developed and evaluated in an independent intervention group. The discharge medication plan and the first post-discharge prescription were compared to identify patients who had at least one medication change that increased the post-discharge risk of either failure to achieve the therapeutic goal (category A, first endpoint) or of patient's lack of treatment adherence (category B). Gaps in care after discharge were also analyzed. RESULTS 200 consecutive patients were enrolled in the trial. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the percentage of patients with potentially jeopardizing medication changes in category A declined from 54% (54/100) in the control group to 15% (15/100) in the intervention group. (p

Hintergrund: Aufgrund fehlender Studien erhalten Kinder oft Medikamente, die auserhalb der genehmigten Indikation angewendet werden. Die Konsequenz der zulassungsuberschreitenden Anwendung ist haufig ein erhohtes Risiko fur Medikationsfehler sowie unerwartete und unerwunschte Wirkungen. Diese Arbeit beschaftigt sich mit der Frage, wie hoch der Anteil von Off-Label-Arzneimittelverordnungen bei ambulant behandelten Kindern und Jugendlichen in Deutschland derzeit ist. Es sollen alters-, geschlechts-, region- und versicherungsspezifische Unterschiede im Off-Label-Use dargelegt und Einflussfaktoren fur eine Off-Label-Verordnung gefunden werden. Methoden: Es handelt sich um eine retrospektive Studie, die mithilfe der IMS-Patientendatenbank Disease Analyzer fur das Jahr 2010 unter Berucksichtigung von drei Therapieklassen (Analgetika, Antibiotika und Antidepressiva) durchgefuhrt wurde. Die Auswertung der Einflussfaktoren fur eine Off-Label-Verordnung erfolgte anhand einer multivariaten logistischen Regression. Untersucht wurde die alters- und dosisspezifische Verordnung, nicht jedoch die indikationsspezifische. Ergebnisse: Insgesamt wurden 189 285 Kinder und Jugendliche mit Analgetika-, 147 089 mit Antibiotika- und 15 405 mit Antidepressiva-Verordnungen identifiziert. Der Anteil der Patienten mit Off-Label-Verordnungen betrug 0,9 % bei Analgetika, 2,5 % bei Antibiotika und 8,5 % bei Antidepressiva. Hausarzte rezeptierten signifikant haufiger Medikamente im Off-Label-Use als Facharzte fur Kinder- und Jugendmedizin und Kinderpsychiater. In Wohnorten mit Folgerung: Die Studie zeigt, dass ambulant betreute Kinder und Jugendliche weitgehend mit altersentsprechenden Medikamenten und adaquaten Dosierungen versorgt werden. Nicht indikationskonforme Off-Label-Verschreibungen wurden nicht erfasst. Dennoch sollte der Off-Label-Use von Arzneimitteln auch im ambulanten Bereich noch weiter gesenkt werden, um eine sichere und risikoarme medikamentose Versorgung von Kindern und Jugendlichen zu gewahrleisten.

BACKGROUND: Anticonvulsants require special consideration particularly at the interface from hospital to ambulatory care. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Observational study for 6 months with prospectively enrolled consecutive patients in a neuropediatric ward of a university hospital (age 0

Intensive pharmaceutical and medical care can lead to fewer drug-related problems (DRPs) in hospitals. Currently available methods to track drug changes after transition from inpatient to outpatient care are susceptible to systemic bias. Therefore we analysed the feasibility of a data linkage between prescription data extracted from hospital medical records and claims data from a health insurance company.At six Saxonian hospitals, patients with a written informed consent were consecutively assigned to a control (CG) or intervention group (IG) depending on the time of admission. Clinical pharmacists documented predetermined DRPs and prescribed medication on the day of hospital admission and in the discharge letter. In case of DRP (IG) or potentially life-threatening DRPs (CG), drug changes were recommended to the hospital physician. These data were patient-individually linked to claims data from a health insurance company comprising a period of six months before and six months after hospitalisation (data linkage). We analysed data consistency within the data linkage and the post-hospital prevalence of DRPs identified in the hospital setting.We enrolled 532 patients (CG/IG 280/252). The data linkage was feasible for 97.0% (CG) and 96.6% (IG) of the patients, respectively. A total of 318 DRPs (CG/IG 176/142) was detected. Because of restrictions in the reimbursement of drugs in the outpatient setting, 22 (12.5%, CG) and 13 (9.2%, IG) DRPs were not analysable. Insurance claims data during a 6-month follow-up showed no statistically significant difference between the CG (without intervention) and in the IG (with intervention) with respect to DRPs (43.4% vs 38.1%; p = 0.472).The linkage of inpatient and outpatient data was feasible for the majority of enrolled patients. Compared to similar studies, the risk for systemic bias decreased because fewer patients were lost to follow-up. Within this feasibility study the expected difference between IG and CG could not be demonstrated statistically.

Imparting knowledge and practical skills in hazardous drug handling in nursing students' education is essential to prevent hazardous exposure and to preserve nurses' health.This study aimed at comparing routine nursing education with an additional innovative teaching session.A prospective controlled study in nursing students was conducted in two study periods: (i) a status-quo period (routine education on handling hazardous drugs) followed by (ii) an intervention period (additional innovative teaching session on handling hazardous drugs).Nursing students at a vocational school were invited to participate voluntarily.In both study periods (i) and (ii), the following factors were analysed: (a) knowledge of hazardous drug handling by questionnaire, (b) practical skills in hazardous drug handling (e.g. cleaning) by a simulated handling scenario, (c) contamination with drug residuals on the work surface by fluorescent imaging.Fifty-three nursing students were enrolled. (a) Median knowledge improved from status-quo (39% right answers) to intervention (65%, p0.001), (b) practical skills improved from status-quo (53% of all participants cleaned the work surface) to intervention (92%, p0.001). (c) Median number of particles/mCompared with routine education, knowledge and practical skills in hazardous drug handling were significantly improved after an innovative teaching session. Additionally, the amount of residuals on the work surface decreased. This indicates a lower risk for hazardous drug exposure.

An association between prenatal acetaminophen or ibuprofen intake and an increased risk of asthma and increased IgE level in children is discussed in various epidemiological studies. Although the molecular mechanistic link is still unknown, the question whether or not acetaminophen and/or ibuprofen are safe pain medications during pregnancy arose. In this study, we associate maternal acetaminophen and ibuprofen intake during pregnancy and breastfeeding to infantile asthma phenotypes and elevated IgE level. Therefore, we analysed questionnaires from a local mother-child cohort and monitored drug intake by LC-MS biomonitoring in urine. No association was found between drug intake and any analysed health outcome using questionnaire data. For the information obtained from biomonitoring, no association was found for ibuprofen and acetaminophen intakes during breastfeeding. However, an association between prenatal acetaminophen intake and increased infantile IgEs related to aeroallergens was statistically detected, but not for asthma phenotypes.

Quality of parents' performance in administering anticonvulsive rescue medication to their children suffering from seizures is unknown. After obtaining ethical approval, we used a questionnaire to ask parents of children with seizures, who had been prescribed rescue medications, about their experience in administering those. To assess the frequency of actually committed drug-handling errors, we let them administer rescue medications to dummy dolls. An expert panel rated the clinical risk of handling errors from "1" (lowest) to "6" (highest). Eighty-one parents completed the study. In the questionnaire, 85 % (100 %) of parents that already conducted rectal (buccal) administration reported that they had never experienced problems. The number of rectal administrations with at least one handling error (97 %, 58/60) was higher than in buccal administration (58 %; 14/24; p 0.001). According to logistic regressions, previous use of rescue medication was not a predictor of the number of committed errors per process (n. s.). All errors were rated with a high clinical risk (class 4-6).By observing parents' administration of rescue medication to dummy dolls, we found a high frequency of clinically relevant drug-handling errors. Most parents, however, self-reported to have never experienced problems while administering rescue medications to their children.• For seizures with duration of more than 5 min, the administration of anticonvulsive rescue medication is recommended. • Outside the hospital, the administration of rescue medication to children is performed most frequently by their parents. What is New: • Most of the parents reported that they had never experienced problems in handling anticonvulsive rescue medication. • But in the observed drug-handling performances, identified errors committed by parents were alarmingly frequent and pose a high clinical risk according to an expert panel.

In der Schmerztherapie stehen heute zahlreiche medikamentöse Therapieoptionen zur Verfügung. Die verfügbaren Analgetika unterscheiden sich dabei nicht nur im Wirkmechanismus, in Potenz und Effektivität sondern auch im Spektrum unerwünschter Wirkungen und Wechselwirkungen. Die Kenntnis klinisch relevanter Aspekte in diesem Bereich ermöglicht es, die Schmerztherapie auf den individuellen Patienten abzustimmen. Nicht-Opioide wie Paracetamol sind in hohen Dosen hepatotoxisch oder besitzen wie Metamizol das Risiko einer Agranulozytose. Nicht-steroidale Antiphlogistika (zum Beispiel Diclofenac) gehen mit einem hohen Risiko für toxische Effekte auf Magen-Darm-Trakt und Nieren einher. Vor allem die sinnvolle Kombination mit anderen in der Schmerztherapie häufiger verwandten Wirkstoffen wie Glucocorticoiden kann zu gastrointestinaler Toxizität und Blutungen führen. Auch in der Anwendung von Opioiden der WHO-Stufe II (zum Beispiel Tramadol) sollte sorgfältig auf Arzneimittel-bezogene Probleme geachtet werden. Dies ist bedingt zum einen durch ihre von der individuellen Metabolisierung abhängigen Pharmakokinetik und zum anderen durch Interaktionen über Cytochrom-P-450-Isoenzyme mit anderen Arzneistoffen. Diese verursachen wie die stark wirksamen Opioide der WHO-Stufe III (zum Beispiel Morphin) Obstipation, Übelkeit und Hautreaktionen (insbesondere Rötung) als klinisch besonders relevante unerwünschte Wirkungen. Eine geeignete Supportivtherapie insbesondere mit auf die Behandlungssituation abgestimmten Laxantien ist dabei unerlässlich.

Objective of the study The purpose of this prospective intervention study was to assess the number of patients with Y-site incompatibilities before and after implementation of quality improvement measures to prevent incompatibilities consisting of a focused instruction for pantoprazole as a drug frequently involved in incompatible drug pairs and of a recommendation to use 4-lumen instead of 3-lumen catheters to increase the number of available central infusion lines. Setting Cardiovascular intensive care unit where several standard operating procedures (SOPs) dealing with compatibility were already in place. Method In a prospective intervention study, patients’ IV medication was assessed for potential incompatibilities using a database containing compatibility information on approximately 60,000 drug pairs. In a first period, routine administration was monitored in 53 consecutive patients (control group). Then, quality improvement measures were implemented recommending a purging procedure before and after bolus administration of pantoprazole as a drug frequently causing incompatibilities in this setting. Additionally, the use of 4-lumen instead of 3-lumen catheters was suggested whenever considered useful by the responsible physicians. The monitoring was repeated during a second period in another 58 patients consecutively admitted to the same unit (intervention group). Main outcome measure Overall number of patients with at least one incompatible drug pair and number of patients receiving incompatible pantoprazole combinations. Results The number of patients receiving incompatible pantoprazole combinations decreased from 15 of the 15 patients receiving pantoprazole (100.0%) in controls to 9/16 (56.2%) in the intervention group (P < 0.01). The overall number of patients with incompatibilities was not influenced by the intervention with 36/58 (62.1%) compared to controls with 38/53 (71.7%, P = 0.28). The fraction of central lines contributed by four lumen central catheters was larger due to the intervention (80/168 lines, 47.6%) compared to controls (16/184, 8.7%, P < 0.001). Only sporadically there were incompatible combinations of drugs governed by the already existing SOPs. Conclusion In an intensive care setting with good SOP adherence, purging before and after administration decreased the respective incompatibility rate whereas the use of 4-lumen instead of 3- lumen catheters had not the expected benefit on separating drug pairs.

Incompatibility of drug solutions administered through a common line may jeopardize the safety and effectiveness of i.v. drug therapies.[1][1] We recently reported that, in the absence of dedicated preventive strategies, incompatibilities are alarmingly frequent in an intensive care setting.[2][2]

Bei internistischen Patienten sind unerwunschte Arzneimittelereignisse haufig. Viele solche Ereignisse sind allerdings vermeidbar, da sie durch Medikationsfehler verursacht werden. Diese treten besonders haufig bei der Arzneimittelverordnung auf. Es bedarf deshalb praxisnaher Konzepte, um das wachsende Wissen zu Arzneimitteln beim Verordnungsprozess verfugbar zu machen. Aber auch wenn Abweichungen vom Standard beabsichtigt sind, muss schnell auf aktuelle Informationen zugegriffen werden konnen. Computerbasierte Systeme konnen zu all diesen Anforderungen eine Unterstutzung in der Arzneimittelverschreibung fur den Arzt leisten und so die Qualitat der Pharmakotherapie verbessern. Dazu mussen solche Systeme allerdings untereinander und sektorenubergreifend vernetzt sein, auf wissenschaftlichen Daten basieren und moglichst viele Faktoren fur eine patientenindividuelle Therapie berucksichtigen. Die Individualisierung und Fokussierung auf die relevanten Informationen sind besonders wichtige Charakteristika, um unzutreffende Warnhinweise (Overalerting) zu verhindern und damit die Akzeptanz in der praktischen Nutzung zu erhohen.

To correct overdosing of drugs requiring adjustment based on renal function in intensive-care patients. In a prospective intervention study, we estimated individual glomerular filtration rate and assessed whether medication required dose adjustment based on renal function. Senior clinicians received a structured report containing recommendations as to whether and how to adjust dosage in the individual patient (intervention). Prevalence of overdosed drugs (primary outcome), extent of overdoses, and reasons for nonacceptance of recommendations (secondary outcomes) were assessed. Of 138 screened intensive-care patients, 68 (49%) had renal impairment, and 110 (14%) of the 805 prescribed drugs required consideration of renal function. A potential overdose was found in 53/110 drugs (48%) and this rate decreased to 26/110 (24%, P

Objective Medication errors are frequent in a hospital setting and often caused by inappropriate drug handling. Systematic strategies for their prevention however are still lacking. We developed and applied a classification model to categorise medication handling errors and defined the urgency of correction on the basis of these findings. Setting Nurses on medical wards (including intensive and intermediate care units) of a 1,680-bed teaching hospital. Method In a prospective observational study we evaluated the prevalence of 20 predefined medication handling errors on the ward. In a concurrent questionnaire survey, we assessed the knowledge of the nurses on medication handling. The severity of errors observed in individual areas was scored considering prevalence, potential risk of an error, and the involved drug. These scores and the prevalence of corresponding knowledge deficits were used to define the urgency of preventive strategies according to a four-field decision matrix. Main outcome measure Prevalence and potential risk of medication handling errors, corresponding knowledge deficits in nurses committing the errors, and priority of quality improvement. Results In 1,376 observed processes 833 medication handling errors were detected. Errors concerning preparation (mean 0.88 errors per observed process [95% CI: 0.81–0.96], N = 645) were more frequent than administration errors (0.36 [0.32–0.41], N = 701, P