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Background: In 2019, British Columbia's public drug plan, PharmaCare, was the first in Canada to implement a nonmedical switching policy from originator infliximab to its biosimilar, for patients with inflammatory arthritis or psoriasis. We aimed to detect signals of impact on health services utilization during the first year of policy implementation and to provide early data to policy-makers., Methods: We constructed cohorts of users of originator infliximab: 3 historical cohorts (2016-2018) and 1 policy cohort (2019). We extracted data from BC Ministry of Health databases from 2015 to 2020, as we followed each cohort for 365 days from May 27 of each cohort's respective year. We excluded patients with gastrointestinal conditions and those not covered by PharmaCare. We examined the cumulative incidence of infliximab prescription refills, switching to other biologic drugs and use of additional health services. A log-likelihood ratio of 1.96 compared with the null hypothesis was used as the threshold for differences between the policy cohort and the historical cohorts., Results: The study included a total of 572 unique patients: 520 in the 2016 historical cohort, 461 in the 2017 historical cohort, 423 in the 2018 historical cohort and 377 in the policy cohort (with some patients included in multiple cohorts; 335 [58.6%] were included in all 4 cohorts). During months 8 and 9 of follow-up, a transient signal was observed in infliximab refills (7.2% decrease in refilling infliximab for the fourth time for the policy cohort, log-likelihood ratio > 1.96). An anticipated increase in visits to specialists was observed from month 4 forward (15.0%, log-likelihood ratio > 1.96). No signal was observed for increased use of other health services (log-likelihood ratio < 1.96)., Interpretation: Early monitoring did not detect signals of negative impacts on health services use during the first year of the policy. Detailed, longer-term cohort studies and hypothesis-testing methods could provide additional assurance about the safety of the policy., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© 2022 CMA Impact Inc. or its licensors.)

Objectives: This retrospective cohort study examined the impact of the pandemic on antimicrobial use (AU) in South Carolina hospitals., Methods: Antimicrobial use in days of therapy (DOT) per 1000 days-present was evaluated in 17 hospitals in South Carolina. Matched-pairs mean difference was used to compare AU during the pandemic (March-June 2020) with that during the same months in 2019 in hospitals that did and did not admit patients with COVID-19., Results: There was a 6.6% increase in overall AU in the seven hospitals that admitted patients with COVID-19 (from 530.9 to 565.8; mean difference (MD) 34.9 DOT/1000 days-present; 95% CI 4.3, 65.6; P = 0.03). There was no significant change in overall AU in the remaining 10 hospitals that did not admit patients with COVID-19 (MD 6.0 DOT/1000 days-present; 95% CI -55.5, 67.6; P = 0.83). Most of the increase in AU in the seven hospitals that admitted patients with COVID-19 was observed in broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents. A 16.4% increase was observed in agents predominantly used for hospital-onset infections (from 122.3 to 142.5; MD 20.1 DOT/1000 days-present; 95% CI 11.1, 29.1; P = 0.002). There was also a 9.9% increase in the use of anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) agents (from 66.7 to 73.3; MD 6.6 DOT/1000 days-present; 95% CI 2.3, 10.8; P = 0.01)., Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic appears to drive overall and broad-spectrum antimicrobial use in South Carolina hospitals admitting patients with COVID-19. Additional antimicrobial stewardship resources are needed to curtail excessive antimicrobial use in hospitals to prevent subsequent increases in antimicrobial resistance and Clostridioides difficile infection rates, given the continuing nature of the pandemic., Competing Interests: Declarations of Competing Interests PB, JK, CMF, SU, EL, LS, SW, and MNA: no conflicts HRW: bioMérieux, Speaker's Bureau (nonbranded content); JJ: bioMérieux, Speaker's Bureau (nonbranded content), Merck, Advisory Board; PBB: bioMérieux, Speaker's Bureau (nonbranded content), Kedrion Biopharma Advisory Board, research grant., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The Italian Medicines Agency has started, since the first months of 2020, a monitoring of drug use during the covid-19 pandemic. This made it possible to identify specific trends in hospital and local purchases, such as the extensive use of off-label drugs with little evidence of efficacy during the first weeks of the epidemic, and to progressively assess the degree of implementation of regulatory and ministerial recommendations.Fin dalle prime fasi dell'emergenza covid-19 è emersa per l'Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco (AIFA) la necessità di monitorare in modo specifico l'uso dei farmaci utilizzati nel corso dell'epidemia. È infatti fondamentale, in un contesto caratterizzato da grande incertezza e da continui aggiornamenti delle linee guida, disporre di informazioni utili a una corretta lettura e interpretazione dei dati. È stato quindi realizzato un primo rapporto dell'Osservatorio Nazionale sull'Impiego dei Medicinali (OsMed) sull'uso dei farmaci utilizzati, a livello ospedaliero e territoriale, nella fase iniziale dell'epidemia1. Questo metteva a confronto i consumi relativi al periodo compreso tra marzo a maggio del 2020 con quelli del trimestre immediatamente precedente, da dicembre 2019 a febbraio 2020. In seguito, il 4 marzo 2021, è stato pubblicato un aggiornamento dei dati in riferimento alle fasi successive dell'epidemia2. Il monitoraggio ha preso in considerazione diverse categorie di farmaci, andando a valutare le oscillazioni negli acquisti in riferimento al progressivo aggiornamento degli indirizzi regolatori. I volumi osservati per ciascun farmaco sono stati standardizzati per 10.000 abitanti/die, andando a valutare le differenze pre- e post-covid-19 in termini di differenza assoluta, differenza percentuale e di p-value (p).

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.

Introduction: Women experience pain during medical abortion, yet optimal pain management remains unclear. We studied the pain experience and need of analgesics during early medical abortion (≤63 days of gestation) among teenage and adult women. We also assessed predictive factors of severe pain., Material and Methods: We recruited 140 primigravid women: 60 teenagers and 80 adult women aged between 25 and 35 years old. The group of teenagers included 19 women under the age of 18 years old (minors). The abortion was performed with mifepristone (200 mg) followed by vaginal misoprostol (800 μg), mainly self-administered at home for adults. Minors were hospitalized during misoprostol administration. Pain medication consisted of ibuprofen 600 mg and paracetamol 1000 mg, first doses taken simultaneously with misoprostol and repeated, if needed, up to three times daily. Additional opiates (mainly tramadol or oxycodone) were administered at hospital if needed. Pain was measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS, 0-100 mm)., Results: The maximal pain VAS (median, interquartile range) was 75 (54-91). Of all the women, 57.7% experienced severe pain (VAS ≥70) during abortion care and 93.5% of women needed additional analgesics in addition to prophylactic pain medication. Teenagers needed additional analgesics more often than adults (5 [3-8] vs 3 [2-6] times, P = .021); 38.0% of all teenagers (64.7% of the minors) received additional opiates compared with 7.9% in adult women. Severe pain (VAS ≥70) was associated with history of dysmenorrhea (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.60 [95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21-5.59, P = .014]), anxiety at baseline (2.64 [1.03-6.77], P = .044) and emesis during abortion (5.24 [2.38-11.57], P < .001). Hospital administration of misoprostol did not lower the risk for severe pain experience (OR 0.84 [95% CI 0.34-2.05], P = .694). Satisfaction with care was high in study population (median VAS 91 [interquartile range 79-97]) and was not associated with the use of narcotic analgesic or place of misoprostol administration., Conclusions: Pain intensity was high both in teenage and adult women undergoing medical abortion, yet satisfaction on care was high. More effective analgesics than ibuprofen and paracetamol should be offered to all women undergoing early medical abortion, especially to those with history of dysmenorrhea. Also, routine use of antiemetics might be advisable., (© 2020 The Authors. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NFOG).)

Background: In nursing homes, residents with dementia frequently receive potentially inappropriate medications that are associated with an increased risk of adverse events. Despite known sex differences in clinical presentation and sociodemographic characteristics among persons with dementia, few studies have examined sex differences in patterns and predictors of potentially inappropriate medication use., Objectives: The objectives of this study were to examine sex differences in the patterns of antipsychotic and benzodiazepine use in the 180 days following admission to a nursing home, estimate clinical and sociodemographic predictors of antipsychotic and benzodiazepine use in male and female residents, and explore the effects of modification by sex on the predictors of using these drug therapies., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 35,169 adults aged 66 years and older with dementia who were newly admitted to nursing homes in Ontario, Canada between 2011 and 2014. Health administrative databases were linked to detailed clinical assessment data collected using the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI-MDS 2.0). Cox proportional hazards models were adjusted for clinical and sociodemographic covariates to estimate the rate of antipsychotic and benzodiazepine initiation and discontinuation in the 180 days following nursing home admission in the total sample and stratified by sex. Sex-covariate interaction terms were used to assess whether sex modified the association between covariates and the rate of drug therapy initiation or discontinuation following nursing home entry., Results: Across 638 nursing homes, our analytical sample included 22,847 females and 12,322 males. At admission, male residents were more likely to be prevalent antipsychotic users than female residents (33.8% vs 28.3%; p < 0.001), and female residents were more likely to be prevalent benzodiazepine users than male residents (17.2% vs 15.3%, p < 0.001). In adjusted models, female residents were less likely to initiate an antipsychotic after admission (hazard ratio [HR] 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.73-0.86); however, no sex difference was observed in the rate of benzodiazepine initiation (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.96-1.12). Female residents were less likely than males to discontinue antipsychotics (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.81-0.98) and benzodiazepines (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.75-0.89). Sex modified the association between some covariates and the rate of changes in drug use (e.g., widowed males exhibited an increased rate of antipsychotic discontinuation (p-interaction = 0.03) compared with married males), but these associations were not statistically significant among females. Sex did not modify the effect of frailty on the rates of initiation and discontinuation., Conclusions: Males and females with dementia differed in their exposure to antipsychotics and benzodiazepines at nursing home admission and their patterns of use following admission. A greater understanding of factors driving sex differences in potentially inappropriate medication use may help tailor interventions to reduce exposure in this vulnerable population.

Objectives: Medication reviews in the domiciliary setting are becoming more prevalent internationally. Understanding the benefits of these reviews is essential to ensuring quality healthcare services. To date there has not been a systematic evaluation of the outcomes of these services and their impact on patients. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken with a view to understanding the impact of medication reviews in this setting. Controlled and uncontrolled studies were included. Outcomes were categorised according to the ECHO model. A narrative synthesis was developed., Key Findings: Nineteen out of 31 papers included demonstrated an improvement in outcome. Clinical outcomes were the most commonly measured and humanistic outcomes the least commonly measured. Domiciliary medication reviews (DMRs) services are presented as providing benefit. However, it is difficult to quantify the impact of services from the published outcomes., Summary: Future work should focus on demonstrating the meaningful changes to patients that DMRs have enabled., (© 2020 The Authors. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Pharmaceutical Society.)

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.

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.

Antimicrobial resistance is a global threat for both human and animal health. One of the main drivers of antimicrobial resistance is inappropriate antimicrobial use in livestock production. The aim of this study was to examine the technical and economic impact of tailor-made interventions, aimed at reducing antimicrobial use in broiler production. Historical (i.e., before intervention) and observational (i.e., after intervention) data were collected at 20 broiler farms. Results indicate that average daily gain and mortality generally increased after intervention, whereas feed conversion and antimicrobial use decreased. Economic performance after interventions was generally higher than before the interventions. Sensitivity analyses on price changes confirm the robustness of the findings., (© 2019 Poultry Science Association Inc.)

Purpose: Many medications that were marketed prior to 1962 but lack Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval are prescribed in the United States. Usage patterns of these "unapproved medications" are poorly elucidated, which is concerning due to potential lack of data on safety and efficacy. The purpose of this project was to characterize purchases of unapproved medications within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) by type, frequency, and cost., Methods: VHA purchasing databases were used to create a list of all products with National Drug Codes (NDCs) purchased nationwide in fiscal year 2016 (FY16). This list was compared to FDA databases to identify unapproved prescription medications. For each identified combination of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and route of administration ("API/route combination"), numbers of packages purchased and associated costs were added., Results: VHA pharmacy purchasing records contained 3,299 unapproved products with NDCs in FY16. After excluding equipment, nutrition products, compounding ingredients, nonmedication products, and duplicate NDCs, there were 600 unique NDCs associated with 130 distinct API/route combinations. The most commonly acquired product was prescription sodium fluoride dental paste (350,775 packages). The greatest pharmaceutical expenditure was for sodium hyaluronate injection ($24.5 million). Unapproved products accounted for less than 1% of overall VHA pharmacy purchasing in FY16., Conclusion: VHA purchased many unapproved prescription products in FY16 but is taking action to address use of such products in consideration of safety and efficacy data and available alternatives., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists 2019.)

Background: Antibiotics require more prudent prescribing, dispensing and administration than other medicines because these medicines are at a greater risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Studying the current medicine use practices and factors affecting the prescribing of an antibiotic would help decision makers to draft policies that would enable a more rational use of medicines., Methods: A prospective, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the current prescribing practices including antibiotics use in six community pharmacies in Asmara. A total of 600 encounters were reviewed using the WHO core prescribing indicators between May 5 and May 12, 2019 using stratified random sampling technique. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were employed using IBM SPSS® (version 22)., Results: The average number of medicines per prescription was 1.76 and 83.14% of the medicines were prescribed using generic names while 98.39% of the medicines were from the National Essential Medicines List (NEML). The percentage of prescriptions containing antibiotics was 53%. The number of encounters containing injections was 7.8%. Patient age, gender and number of medicines prescribed were significantly associated with antibiotic prescribing at bivariate and multivariable models. Subjects under the age of 15 were approximately three times more likely to be prescribed antibiotic compared to subjects whose age is 65 and above (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 2.93, 95%CI: 1.71-5). Similarly, males were more likely to be prescribed antibiotic than females (AOR: 1.57, 95%CI: 1.10-2.24). Subjects to whom three to four medicines prescribed were two times more likely to be prescribed an antibiotic compared to those who were to be prescribed one to two medicines per encounter (AOR: 2.17, 95%CI: 1.35-3.5). A one-unit increase in the number of medicines increased the odds of antibiotic prescribing increased by 2.02 units (COR: 2.02; 95%CI: 1.62-2.52)., Conclusions: This study found that the percentage of antibiotics being prescribed at the community pharmacies in Asmara was 53% which deviated significantly from the WHO recommended values (20-26.8%). Furthermore, the percentage of encounters with an injection was 7.8% lower than the WHO value of 13.4-24.0%. Patients' age, gender and number of medicines were significantly associated with antibiotic prescribing., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© The Author(s). 2019.)

Background: Point prevalence surveys have been used in several studies to provide immediate and easily comparable information about antibiotic use and showed that about one third of hospitalised children had on ongoing antimicrobial prescription during their hospital admission. The aim of this study, as part of the Global Antimicrobial Resistance, Prescribing and Efficacy in Neonates and Children project, is to describe antimicrobial prescriptions among hospitalised children in four tertiary care hospitals in Italy to show if something has changed over the years., Methods: Four tertiary care Italian's hospitals joined three Point Prevalence Surveys (PPSs) in three different period of the year. All children under 18 years of age with an ongoing antimicrobial prescription, admitted on the participating wards at 8 o'clock in the morning of the selecting day were enrolled., Results: A total of 1412 patients (475 neonates and 937 children) were admitted in the days of three PPSs. Overall, among the total admitted patients, 565 patients (40%) had an ongoing antimicrobial prescription in the days of the survey A total of 718 antibiotics were administered in the 485 admitted children and 133 in neonates. The most common indications for antibiotic therapy in children was Lower respiratory tract infections (244/718, 34%), while in neonates were prophylaxis for medical problems (35/133, 26.3%), newborn prophylaxis for newborn risk factors (29/133, 21.8%) and prophylaxis for surgical disease (15/133, 11.3%)., Conclusions: Based on our results, it appears that nothing has changed since the last PPS and that the quality improved targets, underlyined in previous studies, are always the same. Serial PPSs can be part of AMS strategies but they are not sufficient alone to produce changes in clinical practice.

Irrational antibiotic usage not only causes an increase in antibiotic-borne diseases, but also inflicts pain on patients, as a result of inappropriate treatment. In order to resolve the hazards caused by irrational antibiotic usage, a kind of e-health service, the Rational Antibiotic Use System (RAUS), has been incorporated into the hospital information system. The RAUS provides doctors and patients with the functions of antibiotic usage monitoring, antibiotic information consultation and antibiotic prescription support. Though existing literature has already proved the usefulness of the RAUS on monitoring doctors' behavior, the effects on hospital performance from an organizational perspective has rarely been measured by empirical data. Therefore, our study has explored the effects of the RAUS on the performance of a large Chinese hospital, which has implemented the RAUS since March 2014. Through empirical research, we quantified the effects of the implementation of the RAUS on a hospital's performance from both the direct effects on the "drug income" and the spillover effect on the "treatment income". The results indicate a significant positive spillover effect on the treatment incomes of a hospital in its inpatient activities (seen as significant in the long term) and in its outpatient activities (seen as significant in both the short and long terms). In addition, this research provides certain theoretical and practical implications for the dilemma of e-health services application in irrational antibiotic usage.

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.)

Background: Since 2011, German hospitals have been requested to record and evaluate antibiotic use in their institution. In this publication, the use of antibiotics in hospitals belonging to the administrative district Frankfurt/Main between 2012 and 2017 is presented and discussed with regards to the targets set in 2014. These targets are to improve the perioperative prophylaxis, reduce the use of cefuroxime, and increase the penicillin/cephalosporin ratio., Methods: Since 2012, hospitals in Frankfurt/Main have been transmitting the defined daily doses (DDD) of all antibiotics used, the absolute number of patients, and their days of treatment. Since 2013, the data have also distinguished between intensive care and other units. The Frankfurt health authority calculated the total number of antibiotics and the DDD/100 patient days for all hospitals combined as well as for every hospital compared to each other., Results: From 2012 to 2017, the number of absolute annual patient days increased from 1,592,161 to 1,615,180. Antibiotic use decreased from 1,073,975 DDD to 953,349 DDD, leading to a decrease from 67.5 DDD per 100 patient days to 59.0 DDD per 100 patient days. Cefuroxime was the most frequently used antibiotic in all hospitals. The use of cefuroxime showed a significant decrease between 2012 and 2017 (from 250,398 in 2012 to 165,160 DDD in 2017, a decrease of 34%). The use of ceftriaxone was reduced by 27%, ciprofloxacin by 9%, and levofloxacin by 16%., Discussion: The targets set in 2014 were reached in the entirety of Frankfurt hospitals. However, there were significant differences between the hospitals taking part. The results were given as feedback to the hospitals in order to support their efforts in further improving antibiotic stewardship.

BACKGROUND: Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) is increasingly used for a range of indications, from HIV lipodystrophy to gluteal augmentation; however, there is no clear consensus on appropriate product preparation and use. OBJECTIVE: To establish current practices for PLLA reconstitution and usage in the USA. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A 19-question survey pertaining to the reconstitution and use of PLLA was distributed to members of the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery and American Board of Facial Cosmetic Surgery and at several cosmetic conferences. 410 questionnaires were returned anonymously over a 3-month period. The results were collated and analyzed. RESULTS: The commonest indication for PLLA was HIV lipodystrophy (46.8%), followed by gluteal augmentation (42.4%). For the face, the majority used a dilution of 9-10 mL (60.4%). For the gluteal region, the majority used a dilution greater than 21 mL (51.3%). Most respondents reconstituted PLLA in sterile water (59.8%) more than 21 hours before use (51.0%) and added lidocaine to the solution (94.7%). Most physicians used topical anesthetic cream (83.2%), manual agitation (85.8%) and recommended self-massage post-treatment (99.6%). CONCLUSION: There is considerable variation in PLLA reconstitution and use. Further well-designed studies are needed to establish the safest, most effective ways to use this product. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019;18(9):880-886.

We correlated antibiotic consumption measured by point prevalence survey with defined daily doses (DDD) across multiple hospitals. Point prevalence survey had a higher correlation (1) with monthly DDDs than annual DDDs, (2) in nonsurgical versus surgical wards, and (3) on high- versus low-utilization wards. Findings may be hospital specific due to hospital differences.

Background Drug-related problems (DRP) following hospital discharge may cause morbidity, mortality and hospital re-admissions. It is unclear whether a clinical medication review (CMR) and counseling at discharge is a cost-effective method to reduce DRP. Objective To assess the effect of a CMR on health care utilization and to investigate whether CMR is a cost-effective method to reduce DRP in older polypharmacy patients discharged from hospital. Setting 24 community pharmacies in the Netherlands. Method A cluster-randomized controlled trial with an economic evaluation. Community pharmacies were randomized to those providing a CMR, counseling and follow-up at discharge and those providing usual care. Main outcome measures Change in the number of DRP after 1 year of follow-up and costs of health care utilization during follow-up. In 216 patients the use of health care was prospectively assessed. Missing data on effects and costs were imputed using multiple imputation techniques. Bootstrapping techniques were used to estimate the uncertainty around the differences in costs and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. Results CMR resulted in a small reduction of DRP. The proportion of patients readmitted to the hospital during 6 months of follow-up was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (46.4 vs. 20.9%; p < 0.05). Health care costs were higher in the intervention group, although not statistically significant. The costs of reducing one DRP by a CMR amounted to €8270. Conclusion A CMR in vulnerable older patients at hospital discharge led to a small reduction in DRP. Because of a significantly higher use of health care and higher number of re-hospitalisations post CMR, the present study data indicate that performing the intervention in this patient population is not cost-effective.

Prescription drug shortages began to increase markedly in the mid-2000s, including sterile injectable products such as chemotherapy drugs. Using Medicare claims linked to Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER), we examined outpatient chemotherapy use during shortage periods relative to the months before and after a shortage for newly diagnosed patients with breast, colorectal, leukemia, lung, lymphoma, ovarian, or pancreatic cancer (N = 182,470). For most drugs, we found little impact of shortages on either the fraction of patients receiving that drug or the quantity provided. In some cases, we found declines in utilization: 4% for doxorubicin and fluorouracil; 2.9% for oxaliplatin; and about 1% for cytarabine, dacarbazine, and leuprolide. Although shortages for a few drugs resulted in substantial reductions in use, in most cases, they resulted in little to no reduction. We discuss potential explanations for these counterintuitive findings, including potential limitations of current drug shortage reporting methods., (© 2019 The Authors Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics © 2019 American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.)

Background: Medical emergency teams (METs) rescue deteriorating patients as the response arm of hospital rapid response systems. This study aimed to (1) investigate medication use during MET activations by describing the type, frequency and access sources of medications; and (2) assess associations between patient characteristics, MET activation criteria, and outcomes and MET medication use., Methods: A single-center, retrospective study from a prospective database of MET activations in an Australian tertiary referral hospital was undertaken. Consecutive adult MET activations over a 12-month period were included., Results: Across the study period, there were 5,727 MET activations with medications used at 33.5% (n = 1,920). Of 2,648 medications used, cardiac system agents (n = 944; 35.6%) were the most common category used, while intravenous electrolytes (n = 341; 12.9%) and opioid analgesics (n = 248; 9.4%).were the most frequently used medications. Most commonly, medications were sourced from ward stocks. High blood pressure, heart or respiratory rate, pain, and multiple activation criteria were associated with MET medication use (p < 0.001). Patients who required medications were less likely to remain on the ward, and immediate admission to the ICU was approximately doubled (odds ratio = 1.90; 95% confidence interval = 1.47-2.45)., Conclusion: Medication use by the MET was common and associated with escalation to intensive care. A wide variety of medications, principally from ward stocks, were used with some predictability based on activation criteria. Local system improvements have demonstrated that by focusing on common MET syndromes and medications, further investigation can refine and improve medication use and management systems for deteriorating patients., (Copyright © 2019 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Increasing bacterial resistance is strictly correlated to the increasing use of antibiotics, currently constituting a public health problem. The aim of this study was to describe the consumption of antibiotics in Asturias, an autonomous community in northwestern Spain, and compare the results obtained with data from elsewhere in Spain and other European countries. A descriptive study was carried out on the use of antibacterial drugs for systemic use, ATC code J01 in Asturias in 2011-2015. Data were obtained from the prescription-billing information system charged to the Health Service of Asturias. The consumption data are expressed in daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants and day (DHD), and number of packages per thousand inhabitants per day. The average weighted consumption of antibiotics for systemic use in the Asturian community was 26.23 daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day (DHD) in 2015. This figure was higher than that of the EU/EEA population, which was 22.4 DHD, and that of the whole of Spain at 22.2 DHD. There is a wide variability in consumption among the different areas of the Asturian region. This variability is common to the rest of the country and Europe. It can be explained by the influence of the data used in the indicators and by the variability in medical practice. Priority should be given to homologating consumer-monitoring information systems and implementing national strategies aimed at providing more information to medical practitioners, encouraging the appropriate use of antibiotics so as to reduce variability, consumption and resistance.

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.)

Introduction: Factors underlying the selection of antipsychotics for patients with schizophrenia are poorly understood. This study investigated variables associated with initiation of treatment with the long-acting injectables paliperidone palmitate (LAI-PP) and aripiprazole LAI (LAI-AP) in Medicaid patients with schizophrenia., Methods: Adults with at least one medical or pharmacy claim for LAI-PP or LAI-AP from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2016 were selected from the IBM ® MarketScan ® Medicaid Database. The date of the first LAI-PP or LAI-AP claim was the index date. Patients who had at least two medical claims, on different days, for a schizophrenia diagnosis and at least 12 months of continuous health plan enrollment prior to index date were included in the analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the factors associated with the initiation of LAI-PP versus LAI-AP., Results: Of included patients, 5501 initiated LAI-PP and 1449 initiated LAI-AP. Patients more likely to initiate LAI-PP versus LAI-AP were older, male, or African American (all p < 0.01). Patients with obesity (odds ratio [OR] 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.71, 0.98), post-traumatic stress disorder (OR 0.76; 95% CI 0.63, 0.92), or prior oral antipsychotic use (OR 0.66; 95% CI 0.55, 0.79) were less likely to initiate LAI-PP; whereas, patients with nonorganic psychoses (OR 1.35; 95% CI 1.18, 1.55) or prior use of other injectable antipsychotics (OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.09, 1.47) were more likely to initiate LAI-PP versus LAI-AP. Patients with at least two all-cause hospitalizations were 1.37 times more likely to initiate LAI-PP vs LAI-AP (OR 1.37; 95% CI 1.18, 1.60)., Conclusion: Factors associated with initiating LAI-PP and LAI-AP differed. Notably, patients who initiated LAI-PP had greater prior use of medical services than LAI-AP patients. Understanding prescribing practices may help optimize treatment strategies and improve disease management., Funding: Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC.

Introduction: Little is known about real-world use of small molecule kinase inhibitors (SMKI) for advanced thyroid cancer in the United States. This study examined prescribing patterns of SMKI agents recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Center (NCCN)., Methods: This retrospective study used a national health insurance database to identify patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer during 1/1/2006-6/30/2016 and with prescription claims for NCCN-recommended SMKI during 1/1/2010-5/31/2016 whose first claim date was the index date. Inclusion also required continuous enrollment in a health plan for 3 months pre-index (baseline) and ≥ 1 month post-index (follow-up) with no claims for SMKI during baseline. Lines of therapy (LOT) were defined by the date of SMKI claims and days of drug supply. Median time to SMKI discontinuation in each LOT was estimated by Kaplan-Meier method., Results: The study included 217 patients. During follow-up (mean duration 499.0 days), 35.5% of patients (n = 77) received a second or later LOT; among patients with ≥ 12 months follow-up after first LOT (LOT1) initiation, 53.1% (n = 60) received a second or later LOT. Median treatment duration was 5.0 months for LOT1 and 5.1 months for LOT2. Over the entire follow-up period (2010-2016), sorafenib was the most common regimen in LOT1 (36.9% of patients) and LOT2 (24.7%) followed by sunitinib and levantinib (13.4% each) in LOT1 and sunitinib (19.5%) in LOT2. Starting in 2015, the year lenvatinib was approved for differentiated thyroid cancer, lenvatinib was the most common first-line regimen among patients initiating LOT1 in 2015 (43.4%) and 2016 (66.7%)., Conclusion: Sorafenib was the most common first-line agent during 2010-2014 but was supplanted by lenvatinib starting in 2015. Approximately 36-53% of patients received a second-line treatment. Median treatment duration results suggested potential benefit of SMKI in second-line therapy. SMKI treatment after first-line failure may be considered for appropriately selected patients., Funding: Eisai, Inc. (Woodcliff Lake, NJ).

Objectives: There is currently a lack of data regarding antimicrobial use among public hospitals in South Africa. This is a concern given their growing use and increasing antimicrobial resistance rates in South Africa. Consequently, the objectives of this study were to firstly determine the appropriateness of point prevalence survey (PPS) data collection instruments for performing antimicrobial utilization studies among public sector hospitals in South Africa; secondly, to determine current antimicrobial utilization in a public sector hospital, and thirdly evaluate the prescribing of antimicrobials with those contained within the national Essential Medicines List and Standard Treatment Guidelines (EML/STGs). The findings will be used to guide future activities in South Africa., Methods: A PPS was conducted in Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital. For each in-patient ward, all patients' files were completely surveyed on a single day. The number of patients who were on antimicrobials served as the numerator and the denominator comprised the total number of patients in the ward., Results: 39 wards and 512 patient files were surveyed. The overall prevalence of antimicrobial use was 37.7%, highest in the ICUs. Beta lactamase inhibitors and antimicrobials for tuberculosis were the most prevalent antimicrobials. More than two thirds (83%) of antimicrobial treatment was modified following culture sensitivity test results when requested, and 98% of antimicrobials prescribed were contained within the current EML/STGs. In 10.8% of occasions, antimicrobials appear to have been prescribed other than for treatment, i.e. no systemic infection. There were concerns though with the lack of IV to oral switching., Conclusion: The PPS method offers a standardized tool that can be used to identify targets for quality improvement. However, there were concerns with the time taken to conduct PPS studies, which is an issue in resource limited settings. This is being addressed alongside concerns with the lack of IV to oral switching.

Background/objectives: Previous research indicates that eligibility criteria for medication therapy management (MTM) services in Medicare prescription drug (Part D) plans, defined under the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA), are associated with racial/ethnic disparities and ineffective in identifying individuals with medication utilization issues. Our study's objective was to determine the comparative effectiveness of MTM eligibility criteria under MMA and in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in identifying patients with medication utilization issues across racial/ethnic groups., Design: ACA and MMA MTM eligibility criteria were compared on proportions of eligible individuals among patients with medication utilization issues. Multinomial logistic regression was conducted to control for patient/community characteristics. Need-based and demand-based analyses were used to determine disparities due to need and demand for healthcare. Main/sensitivity analyses were conducted for the range of eligibility thresholds., Setting: Medicare data (2012-2013) linked to Area Health Resources Files., Participants: A total of 964 610 patients 65 years or older., Measurements: Medication safety/adherence measures, developed primarily by the Pharmacy Quality Alliance, were used to determine medication utilization issues., Results: Higher proportions of patients were eligible based on ACA than MMA MTM eligibility criteria. For example, in 2013, proportions based on ACA and MMA MTM eligibility criteria would be 99.7% and 26.2%, respectively, in the main analysis (p < .001); in the demand-based main analysis, ACA criteria were associated with 13.6% and 9.8%, respectively, higher effectiveness than MMA criteria among non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics than non-Hispanic whites., Conclusion: ACA MTM eligibility criteria are more effective than MMA criteria in identifying older patients needing MTM, particularly among minorities. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:581-587, 2019., (© 2019 The American Geriatrics Society.)

Objectives: To assess the appropriateness of vancomycin dosing and monitoring at Lebanese hospitals., Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective study conducted at 3 Lebanese hospitals between January and March 2018. Patients 18 years of age and older treated with vancomycin for a systemic infection or prophylaxis were eligible for study enrollment. Consistency with the Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines was evaluated to determine whether the dose of vancomycin was appropriate, as well as for the time of trough measurement, and the target concentration obtained., Results: From a total of 120 patients who met the inclusion criteria, only 11 (12%) were given the appropriate maintenance dose of vancomycin with respect to actual body weight. The trough levels were monitored for 67 (55.8%) patients, with 20 (29.9%) of these patients achieving appropriate therapeutic trough levels of 15-20 mg/l. The trough concentration time measurement before the fourth dose was only carried out in 28 (41.8%) of the 67 patients., Conclusion: This study reveals a gap between the appropriate utilization of vancomycin with respect to the international guidelines in the studied Lebanese hospitals. It highlights the need for dosing and monitoring protocols suitable for vancomycin utilization in these hospitals.

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).)

Purpose: Increasing use of tramadol for chronic non-cancer pain is concerning since tramadol users may be at risk of developing recurrent opioid use with increasing opioid consumption and co-medication. Therefore, we investigated a complete national cohort of tramadol users., Methods: The study population (154 042 adult individuals in Norway, who redeemed ≥ one tramadol prescription in 2012) was stratified into four groups according to their opioid use 2 years before their first tramadol prescription in 2012 and followed until 2016. Information on all dispensed opioid analgesics, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and BZD-related Z-hypnotics were retrieved from the Norwegian Prescription Database., Results: Six percent of opioid naïve tramadol users (no opioid use 2 years before tramadol use in 2012) became recurrent users (received opioids annually during 4-year follow-up), almost doubled their mean opioid consumption (66 to 108 defined daily doses [DDD]). One-quarter proceeded to strong opioids or was co-medicated with BZDs, one-third with Z-hypnotics. Among former weak opioid users, 39.8% became recurrent users, 18.7% proceeded to strong opioids, mean opioid consumption increased slightly, one-third used BZDs, or Z-hypnotics concurrently. Among former strong opioid and users in palliative care; 61%, 70% became recurrent users and developed a similar prescription pattern (high and increasing mean opioid consumption, 301 to 318, 413 to 430 DDD); half of them proceeded to strong opioids and/or used BZDs or Z-hypnotics concurrently., Conclusions: Many patients who developed recurrent opioid use received prescriptions which substantially conflicted with existing guidelines and might lead to problematic opioid use., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background: People with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are less likely to use oral anticoagulants than people without AD., Objective: We investigated incidence and prevalence of warfarin and direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) use, and determined predictors of DOAC and warfarin initiation in older people with AD and the general population., Methods: Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data for 356,000 people aged ≥65 years dispensed warfarin or DOACs during July 2013-June 2017 were analyzed. Changes in annual incidence and prevalence were estimated using Poisson regression. Predictors of DOAC versus warfarin initiation were estimated using multivariable logistic regression separately for people with AD and the general population., Results: Oral anticoagulant prevalence increased from 8% in people with AD and 9% in the general population to 12% in both groups from 2013/2014 to 2016/2017. DOAC prevalence increased (from 2.4% to 7.8% in people with AD, 3.2% to 7.7% in the general population) while warfarin prevalence declined (6.6% to 4.5%, 7.0% to 4.3%, correspondingly). The incidence of warfarin use decreased by 45-55%. In people with AD, women were less likely to initiate DOACs than men, whereas presence of arrhythmias or pain/inflammation increased likelihood of initiating DOACs. Age ≥85 years, cardiovascular diseases, gastric acid disorder, diabetes, and end-stage renal disease were associated with lower odds of DOAC initiation in the general population., Conclusion: DOAC introduction has coincided with increased anticoagulation rates in people with AD. Rates are now similar in older people with AD and the general population. Compared to previous years, DOACs are now more likely to be initiated, particularly for those aged ≥85 years.

Purpose: Fentanyl transdermal system (FTS) is intended only for patients with prior opioid tolerance. The purpose of this study is to identify the proportion of new FTS users who had evidence of prior opioid tolerance, by dosage strength, in FDA's Sentinel System., Methods: We identified new FTS episodes (183-day washout) from 2009 through 2013. Members were <65 years and enrolled in medical and pharmacy coverage for 183 days prior to initial FTS dispensing (index). We assessed the proportion of users with prior tolerance stratified by dosage strength of FTS using four definitions of opioid tolerance: ≥30-mg oxycodone equivalents/day in each of 7 consecutive days immediately prior to index; ≥30-mg oxycodone equivalents/day for any 7 days in the 30 days prior to index (secondary); any dose in each of 7 days in the 7 consecutive days immediately prior to index (tertiary); and any dose for any 7 days in the 30 days prior to index (quaternary)., Results: Of 44 450 episodes of 25 mcg/hr FTS, 37% met the primary definition, and 77% met the quaternary definition. Of 3507 episodes of 100 mcg/hr FTS, 57% and 74% met the primary and quaternary definitions, respectively. Those aged 25 to 34 years had the highest proportion of episodes with prior tolerance; those aged 55 to 64 accounted for more of the episodes overall., Conclusions: In Sentinel, many new users of FTS did not have evidence of prior opioid tolerance by the primary definition, ie, the product label definition, which is the minimum standard for the lowest FTS dose (12 mcg/hr), especially at the highest strength (100 mcg/hr). Validation of this metric is warranted, but our findings suggest the need for further prescriber education regarding appropriate prescribing of FTS., (© 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.

Background: While the rise in opioid analgesic prescribing and overdose deaths was multifactorial, financial relationships between opioid drug manufacturers and physicians may be one important factor., Methods: Using national data from 2013 to 2015, we conducted a retrospective cohort study linking the Open Payments database and Medicare Part D drug utilization data. We created two cohorts of physicians, those receiving opioid-related payments in 2014 and 2015, but not in 2013, and those receiving opioid-related payments in 2015 but not in 2013 and 2014. Our main outcome measures were expenditures on filled prescriptions, daily doses filled, and expenditures per daily dose. For each cohort, we created a comparison group that did not receive an opioid-related payment in any year and was matched on state, specialty, and baseline opioid expenditures. We used a difference-in-differences analysis with linear generalized estimating equations regression models., Results: We identified 6,322 physicians who received opioid-related payments in 2014 and 2015, but not in 2013; they received a mean total of $251. Relative to comparison group physicians, they had a significantly larger increase in mean opioid expenditures ($6,171; 95% CI: 4,997 to 7,346), daily doses dispensed (1,574; 95%CI: 1,330 to 1,818) and mean expenditures per daily dose ($0.38; 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.47). We identified 8,669 physicians who received opioid-related payments in 2015, but not in 2013 or 2014; they received a mean total of $40. Relative to comparison physicians, they also had a larger increase in mean opioid expenditures ($1,031; 95% CI: 603 to 1,460), daily doses dispensed (557; 95% CI: 417 to 697), and expenditures per daily dose ($0.06; 95% CI: 0.002 to 0.13)., Conclusions: Our findings add to the growing public policy concern that payments from opioid drug manufacturers can influence physician prescribing. Interventions are needed to reduce such promotional activities or to mitigate their influence., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objective: To estimate the relative health risk of Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries compared to those in Traditional Medicare (TM)., Data Sources/study Setting: Medicare claims and enrollment records for the sample of beneficiaries enrolled in Part D between 2008 and 2015., Study Design: We assigned therapeutic classes to Medicare beneficiaries based on their prescription drug utilization. We then regressed nondrug health spending for TM beneficiaries in 2015 on demographic and therapeutic class identifiers for 2014 and used coefficients from this regression to predict relative risk of both MA and TM beneficiaries., Principal Findings: Based on prescription drug utilization data, beneficiaries enrolled in MA in 2015 had 6.9 percent lower health risk than beneficiaries in TM, but differences based on coded diagnoses suggested MA beneficiaries were 6.2 percent higher risk. The relative health risk based on drug usage of MA beneficiaries compared to those in TM increased by 3.4 p.p. from 2008 to 2015, while the relative risk using diagnoses increased 9.8 p.p., Conclusions: Our results add to a growing body of evidence suggesting MA receives favorable, or, at worst, neutral selection. If MA beneficiaries are no healthier and no sicker than similar beneficiaries in TM, then payments to MA plans exceed what is warranted based on their health status., (© Health Research and Educational Trust.)

Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE-5Is) are the first-line medical treatments for erectile dysfunction (ED), but are often restricted in public formularies. This study assesses PDE-5I usage among active-duty service members before and after the addition of sildenafil to the formulary of the Military Health System (MHS) in 2012. To assess, a cross-sectional evaluation was conducted, utilizing encounter and pharmaceutical claims data from the Military Health System Data Repository between 2010 and 2014. Separate zero-inflated, negative binomial models were used to assess changes in usage rates by prescription and by number of pills issued, for 37 947 patients. Increased PDE-5I usage was noted with select comorbidities, notably mental health and neurologic conditions. There was significant proportional variation in medication distribution following inclusion of sildenafil within the MHS formulary, with a minimal demographic impact on medication models. The average number of prescriptions decreased, while the quantity of distributed medications increased. A significant portion of PDE-5I recipients were young men, under 25 years old, who received medications on the first visit, which invites speculation about the effectiveness of treatment and appropriateness of use. Future studies aimed at evaluating prevalence in younger population may be of benefit.

Purpose: To investigate person-level agreement between medication exposure as predicted using the PRE2DUP (a prescription-based design to estimate continuous drug use) method and postmortem toxicological findings, in the Swedish population during the years 2006 to 2013., Methods: Using the Swedish National Board of Forensic Medicine's toxicology database and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare's registries on causes of death, dispensed medications, and in-patient care, forensic-toxicological findings were compared with prescription-based estimates of drug use for 27 medications. We modeled expected drug-use periods with the PRE2DUP using an algorithm of demonstrated high validity that evaluates personal drug-purchasing patterns with consideration to possible stockpiling of drugs and package information. Excluding criteria included self-inflicted death and recent in-patient care., Results: In data from 18 627 performed autopsies, as well as 10 160 instances of dispensed drug use, the agreement between PRE2DUP drug-use periods and forensic toxicology was, overall, moderate (Cohen's kappa: 0.56 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 0.55-0.57]) with a positive predictive value, or predicted adherence rate, of 46.0%. The group-level predicted adherence and agreement were highest for antidepressants, at 71.0% (Cohen's kappa: 0.74 [CI: 0.73-0.76]), and lowest for cardiovascular drugs, at 21.5% (Cohen's kappa: 0.33 [CI: 0.31-0.36]). Predicted recreational use (negative predictive value) was low for all investigated drugs (0.0%-1.4%). The biological half-life explained 29% (P = 0.003) of the variability of the false-positive rate., Conclusions: Measured agreement between PRE2DUP-based drug-use estimates and forensic-toxicological findings is dependent upon a number of factors, including true continuous drug use and postmortem detectability of the investigated drugs, as well as the occurrence of unconventional dosing and true non-adherence., (Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

In many hypertensive patients, treatment is not upgraded despite lack of blood pressure control because of therapeutic inertia. Information is limited, however, on the extent of this phenomenon in real-life medicine. We studied 125 635 patients (age 40-85 years) from the Lombardy region (Italy) who started antihypertensive treatment with 1 drug (n=100 982) or a 2-drug fixed-dose or free combination (n=24 653). A log-binomial regression model was used to estimate the prevalence ratio of combination therapy in relation to the initial treatment strategy. In the initial monotherapy group, patients under drug combinations were 22%, 27%, 32%, and 36% at 6 months, 1, 2, and 3 years later. In the initial combination treatment group, the corresponding percentages were 85%, 82%, 79%, and 78%. This translated into a markedly greater covariate-adjusted propensity of being under a multidrug prescription throughout the follow-up: 3.92 (95% CI, 3.84-4.00) after 6 months and 3.18 (3.12-3.25), 2.56 (2.51-2.60), and 2.23 (2.19-2.27) after 1, 2 and 3 years of treatment. In a propensity score analysis, initial 2-drug combination treatment was also associated with significant reductions in the risk of death (-20%, 11% to 28%) and hospitalization for cardiovascular events (-16%, 10% to 21%) compared with initial monotherapy. Thus, in real life, a large number of patients prescribed initial monotherapy fails to move to combination treatment, as recommended by guidelines. This implies that therapeutic inertia frequently prevents proper treatment uptitration, thereby playing a major role in the low rate of hypertension control that exists worldwide.

Purpose: Following safety concerns regarding trimetazidine, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended restrictions on its use. Our objective was to determine the impact of regulatory actions on trimetazidine utilization in Portugal., Methods: Retrospective interrupted time-series analysis of monthly ambulatory pharmacy reimbursement records for the Portuguese National Health Service between January 2006 and December 2015. Regulatory actions were identified by searching the EMA, Portuguese Medicines Authority, and European Commission's websites. Concurrent factors in the same period were also identified. The main outcome was the dispensing of trimetazidine-containing products per month in Portugal., Results: Two interruption periods were defined in the series: May 2011, when EMA announced it would review trimetazidine safety, and June 2012 to January 2013, when EMA announced it had reached a final opinion recommending restrictions; the European Commission approved EMA's recommendation; the Portuguese Medicines Authority issued safety alerts, changed the summary of product characteristics, and approved a direct health-care professional letter; and a regional bulletin was issued. Interruption 1 had no effect on trimetazidine use, but interruption 2 resulted in decreases in level and trend-from 8.3 million defined daily doses in 2010 to 2.8 million in 2015. After interruption 2, trimetazidine use tended towards a lower steady state., Conclusions: There was a significant decrease in trimetazidine use in Portugal following a complex intervention that included safety alerts, changes to the summary of product characteristics, a direct health-care professional letter, and a regional drug bulletin. No effect was seen when EMA announced its review of trimetazidine safety., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

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.)

The aim of this controlled, before-and-after study in the Department of Psychiatry in a university hospital in Denmark was to examine the potential effects and characteristics of nurses reviewing psychiatric patients' medication records to identify potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIPs). The control group and the intervention group each consisted of two bed units chosen based on patients' diagnoses and age categories. There were 396 patients (age ≥18 years) included in the study. Senior clinical pharmacology physicians performed medication reviews for all patients in the study; these medication reviews were considered gold standard. The intervention group: nurses were given a pharmacology course after which the nurses reviewed medication lists and subsequently conferred any identified PIPs with physicians. The control group: medication was reviewed as usual and nurses did not participate. Primary outcome measure was the potential difference in PIPs between the control group and the intervention group, analysed in two ways: (i) difference in mean number of PIPs and (ii) difference in number of patients exposed to ≥1 PIP, using regression analysis with an approximated difference-in-difference (DID) approach. Secondary outcome measure was characteristics of PIPs where physicians responded to nurse-identified PIPs. The DID between intervention group and control group for mean number of PIPs per patient was -0.23 (-1.07 to 0.60), and for number of patients receiving ≥1 PIP, the odds ratio was 0.61 (0.25 to 1.46). Physicians changed most prescriptions in the category interaction between drugs. Nurses could not significantly reduce the prevalence of PIPs for psychiatric patients., (© 2018 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).)

Objective: Evidence of safety issues associated with long-acting beta 2 -agonist (LABA) treatment has led to multiple regulatory activities by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on this class of medications. This study describes the impact of the regulatory activities on incident LABA-containing medication dispensing., Methods: A monthly rolling cohort of asthma patients who were eligible to initiate a LABA-containing product was created in the Mini-Sentinel Distributed Database between January 2005 and June 2011. Cohorts of individuals who initiated LABA were examined for the changes in the proportions of single-ingredient to fixed-dose inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)-LABA initiators, appropriate initiation of LABA-containing products, and use of controller medications. The impact of the 2005 and 2010 FDA regulatory activities associated with LABA-containing products was measured using interrupted time series with segmented regression., Results: LABA-containing product initiation was declining prior to the 2005 regulatory activities and continued to decline over the study period, accompanied by increased initiation of fixed dose ICS-LABA among LABA initiators. While the 2010 regulatory activities had no immediate impact on the proportion of LABA initiation in patients with prior controller medication dispensing and/or poor asthma control, there was an increasing positive trend toward LABA initiation in the appropriate patient population after the regulatory activities., Conclusion: The 2005 and 2010 FDA regulatory activities likely had an impact on communicating the safety concerns of LABA products. However, the impact cannot be viewed independent of scientific publications, guidelines for asthma treatment and other regulatory activities.

Background: The purpose of this study is to determine whether Ohio House Bill 341, which mandated the use of Ohio's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), was an effective regulatory strategy to reduce opioid and benzodiazepine dispensing., Method: Secondary analysis of Ohio's PDMP data on prescription opioids and benzodiazepines dispensed from November 2014 to March 2017. An interrupted time series analysis was conducted to determine if there was a significant change in the quantity of opioids and benzodiazepines dispensed., Results: After HB341 became effective in April 2015, there was a statistically significant decrease in the monthly quantity (number of pills) opioids and benzodiazepines dispensed in Ohio. There was a modest increase in the mean days' supply of opioids and no change in the mean morphine equivalent dose., Conclusions: Legislation in Ohio requiring prescribers to check the PDMP was effective in reducing the quantity of opioids and benzodiazepines dispensed., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Knowledge on the use of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication among older adults is limited. We hypothesized that ADHD medication is used off-label in adults aged ≥50 years as part of palliative care in e.g. cancer patients. The aim of this study was to describe the use of ADHD medication among adults aged ≥50 years in Denmark., Methods: Using the Danish health registries, we identified new users ≥50 years of ADHD medication during 2000-2012. We estimated the annual incidence of ADHD medication use and ADHD diagnoses. We described new users of ADHD medication according to co-medication, comorbidities and assessed the 1-year cumulative mortality rate. A posthoc analysis allowed us to include new users until 2015., Results: We identified 6690 new users of ADHD medication from 2000 to 2012. From 2000 to 2015 we observed an increase in the incidence of ADHD medication use from 12.5 to 30.3 per 100 000 person-years. However, the incidence rate decreased from 2010 to 2015. Throughout the study period, the incidence rate of ADHD diagnoses was low (overall prevalence among new users ≤2%). Opioids were the most frequent comedication used (used by 54%), while cancer was the most frequent diagnosis preceding treatment (prevalence of 52%). The 1-year cumulative mortality was 50%, primarily driven by patients with a preceding cancer diagnosis., Conclusion: There was an increase in the incidence of ADHD medication use in adults aged ≥50 years from 2000-2010 and a decreasing incidence from 2010-2015. Our results suggest that ADHD medication is used off-label in older adults as part of palliative care., (© 2018 The British Pharmacological Society.)

Objectives: To detail annual trends in benzodiazepine incidence and prevalence in older adults between 2010 and 2016 in three countries., Design: Observational multicountry cohort study with harmonized study protocol., Setting: The United States (veteran population); Ontario, Canada; and Australia., Participants: All people aged 65 and older (8,270,000 people)., Measurements: Annual incidence and prevalence of benzodiazepine use stratified according to age group (65-74, 75-84, ≥85) and sex. We performed multiple regression analyses to assess whether rates of incident and prevalent use changed significantly over time., Results: Over the study period, we observed a significant decrease in incident benzodiazepine use in the United States (2.6% to 1.7%) and Ontario (6.0% to 4.4%) but not Australia (7.0% to 6.7%). We found significant declines in prevalent use in all countries (United States: 9.2% to 7.3%; Ontario: 18.2% to 13.4%; Australia: 20.2% to 16.8%). Although incidence and prevalence increased with age in Ontario and Australia, they decreased with age in the United States. Incidence and prevalence were higher in women in all countries., Conclusion: Consistent with other international studies, there have been small but significant reductions in the incidence and prevalence of benzodiazepine use in older adults in all three countries, with the exception of incidence in Australia, although use remains inappropriately high-particularly in those aged 85 and older-which warrants further attention from clinicians and policy-makers., (© 2018, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2018, The American Geriatrics Society.)

Aims: Potentially inappropriate drug prescribing (PIDP) is frequent in nursing home (NH) residents. We aimed to investigate whether a geriatric intervention on quality of care reduced PIDP., Methods: We performed an ancillary study within a multicentric individually-tailored controlled trial (IQUARE trial). All NH received a baseline and 18-month audit regarding drug prescriptions and other quality of care indicators. After the initial audit, NHs of the intervention group benefited of an in-site intervention (geriatric education for NH staff) provided by a geriatrician from the closest hospital. The analysis included 629 residents of 159 NHs. The main outcome was PIDP, defined as the presence of at least one of the following criteria: (i) drug with an unfavourable benefit-to-risk ratio; (ii) with questionable efficacy; (iii) absolute contraindication; (iv) significant drug-drug interaction. Multivariable multilevel logistic regression models were performed including residents and NH factors as confounders., Results: PIDP was 65.2% (-3.6% from baseline) in the intervention group (n = 339) and 69.9% (-2.3%) in the control group (n = 290). The intervention significantly decreased PIDP [odds ratio (OR) = 0.63; 95% confidence interval 0.40-0.99], as a special care unit in NH (OR = 0.60; (0.42 to 0.85)), and a fall in the last 12 months (OR = 0.63; 0.44-0.90). Charlson Comorbidity Index [OR CCI = 1 vs. 0  = 1.38; 0.87-2.19, OR CCI ≥ 2 vs. 0  = 2.01; (1.31-3.08)] and psychiatric advice and/or hospitalization in a psychiatric unit (OR = 1.53; 1.07-2.18) increased the likelihood of PIDP., Conclusion: This intervention based on a global geriatric education resulted in a significant reduction of PIDP at patient level., (© 2018 The British Pharmacological Society.)