Indications For Prescription Research Articles

Comparative assessment of off-label and unlicensed drug prescription in neonatal intensive care: FDA versus Brazilian guidelines

IntroductionRegulatory agencies are responsible for defining the use of off-label (OL) and unlicensed (UL) drug prescription in neonatal intensive care. However, these regulatory criteria may differ between agencies in different countries. The aim of this study was to establish the frequency of OL and UL drug prescription in a sample of patients in a neonatal intensive care unit applying the criteria of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States and the Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA) of Brazil, analysing the differences observed in the results based on the applied criteria. MethodsProspective cohort study in neonates admitted for more than 24h to the NICU of a teaching maternity hospital between August 2017 and July 2018. We obtained information concerning the drugs included in the analysis of OL and UL prescriptions from the DrugDex-Micromedex® and official information on pharmaceutical products in Brazil. We used the kappa correlation coefficient to assess the agreement between the FDA and ANVISA criteria. We defined disagreement as a kappa value of less than 0.200. ResultsWe evaluated 220 neonates admitted to the NICU and 17,421 items prescribed during the study period. We did not find a difference in the proportion of neonates in which at least 1 drug was prescribed under OL conditions applying the FDA versus the ANVISA criteria (96.4% vs. 98.6%). We found differences between the FDA and ANVISA in the OL classification based on the authorized age of use and indications for prescription, mainly in systemic antimicrobials and cardiovascular drugs. When we compared the prescribing information provided by the FDA and the ANVISA, we found that the criteria of the ANVISA were less specific. ConclusionOff-label and unlicensed drug prescription are frequent in neonatal intensive care applying the criteria of either agency, although the FDA has established more detailed criteria in terms of the ages and indications for which prescription is authorized.

Análise de prescrições de medicamentos em unidades de atenção básica à saúde no município de Itaguaí, Rio de Janeiro

Estudo transversal retrospectivo das segundas vias das receitas de Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) e unidades de Estratégia de Saúde da Família (ESF) de Itaguaí, empregando indicadores de prescrição propostos pela Organização Mundial da Saúde. Avaliou-se também o cumprimento da legislação sanitária em relação às prescrições e a disponibilidade de cópias da Relação Municipal de Medicamentos Essenciais (REMUME) nas unidades de saúde. Foram analisadas 7.502 prescrições (média de 2,78 medicamentos/prescrição). A maioria (74,38%) dos medicamentos estava na denominação genérica e 85,56% constavam na REMUME. Em 22,38% das prescrições havia ao menos um antibiótico prescrito. No geral, a análise dos indicadores de prescrição apresentou resultados melhores para a ESF. A divulgação da REMUME se mostrou insuficiente. Este estudo pode auxiliar nas ações da assistência farmacêutica municipal, sobretudo no âmbito da Atenção Básica à Saúde (ABS), direcionando esforços gerenciais e educativos com foco na promoção do uso racional de medicamentos.

Study of antimicrobial use in paediatric inpatients in a tertiary care hospital in Ahmedabad, India

Background: Inappropriate use and overuse of antibiotics are important factors leading to increased bacterial resistance apart from increased risk of adverse reactions. The aim of this study was to derive antibiotic use percentage, study its pattern and compare antibiotic prescribing indicators with standard indicators.Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted from 1st August 2018 to 31st July 2019 on paediatric inpatients from 1 month to 14 years. All the relevant data was taken from the case records of patients at the time of discharge. The data included: age, sex, hospital stay, clinical diagnosis and details of antimicrobial treatment.Results: From 989 patients, 85.9% were diagnosed with infectious illness, of which 60.1% had viral and 36.7% had bacterial infection. The use of antimicrobial drugs was 42.7% and antibiotics was 40.4%. The mean number of antibiotics received was 1.13±0.31. 90% patients received single antibiotic. 88.8% drugs were prescribed by generic name and 99% drugs were prescribed from essential drug formulary. 17 different antibiotics were used out of which ceftriaxone (62.5%) was the most commonly used. Groupwise, antibiotic use was cephalosporins (68.4%), penicillin (20.2%), aminoglycosides (4.31%), fluoroquinolones (0.9%) and macrolides (0.22%). The use of higher antibiotics like vancomycin (3.86%) and carbapenems (0.68%) was quite less.Conclusions: The antibiotic use in our hospital was higher than the WHO standard but less as compared to majority of other studies. Use of cephalosporins was more and penicillin was less as compared to other studies. This suggests that there is a need of implementing antibiotic stewardship programs to enhance rational antibiotic prescribing.

Prescribing patterns of cardiovascular drugs in cardiology outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital in Western Odisha

Background: Cardiovascular morbidity plays a villainous role globally as well as countries like India. Additionally, irrational prescription incurs greater damage to health and wellbeing. Drug utilization studies scrutinize the appropriateness of treatment and provide favorable feedbacks to strengthen clinical practices. The objective of the study was to describe treatment practices in cardiology outpatient and drug utilization pattern using core prescribing indicators by World Health Organization (WHO).Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study of 4-month duration was undertaken for cardiology Outdoor patients at a tertiary care hospital. 615 prescriptions were screened and analyzed.Results: Males (59.84%) were more in number than females (40.16%). Average number of the prescribed drugs per patient were 4.32±2.7 and (3.73±1.1 for cardiovascular drugs). Generic prescription was 60.98%. Percentage encounters with antibiotics 4.11, injectables 2.92%, fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) (11.8%) were documented. Drugs from the National List of Essential Medicines were 75.89%. The most common diagnosis was ischemic heart disease (68.29%). Hypolipidemics (78.25%) followed by antiplatelets (71.14%) were toppers in cardiovascular drug. Antiulcer drugs (PPI/Antacids) comprised 58.54% of total prescriptions.Conclusions: Less adherence to EDL, less generic prescriptions, use of FDC are major shortcomings. Areas to further rationalization like optimal use of evidence based medication like beta-blockers, newer anticoagulants/anti-platelet agents and newer anti-anginal agents are identified.

Three-Year Trends of Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antibiotic Use in Acute Care Hospitals: Findings from 2016-2018 Point Prevalence Surveys in Sicily, Italy.

Repeated point prevalence surveys (PPSs) of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antibiotic use are crucial to monitor trends over years at regional level, especially in countries with decentralized healthcare systems. Here, we reported the results of three PPSs conducted in Sicilian acute care hospitals (Italy) from 2016 to 2018, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control protocol. Overall, prevalence of patients with at least one HAI was 5.1% in 2016, 4.7% in 2017, and 5.1% in 2018, without a significant trend over years (p = 0.434). At the patient level, the most important factor associated with HAIs was antibiotic use, since patients receiving at least one antimicrobial were more likely to be infected than those who did not receive antimicrobials (OR = 18.87; 95%CI = 13.08–27.22). The analysis of the prevalence of antibiotic use indicated a significant trend across years of the PPSs: 50.5% of patients received at least one antimicrobial agent in 2016, 55.2% in 2017, and 53.7% in 2018 (p < 0.001). The most common indication for antimicrobial prescription was medical prophylaxis, while third-generation cephalosporins represented the most frequently used class of antimicrobial agents, followed by fluoroquinolones and combinations of penicillins. Our study confirms that HAIs still remain a major public health issue, which could be intensified by antibiotic abuse. This raises the need for infection prevention and control and antibiotic stewardship programs aimed to improve knowledge about appropriate antibiotic prescription and to reduce the use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials.

Study of the effect of pharmacotherapeutic audit meetings on prescription writing in a tertiary care center-an interventional study

Background: Rational drug prescription is a practice when an appropriate drug with correct dosage, formulation, frequency and duration is prescribed. Prescription audit with the help of regular Pharmaco-therapeutic audit meetings (PTAM) is a continuous cycle, involving observing practice, setting standards, comparing practice with standards, implementing changes and observing new practice. World health organization (WHO) and international network for rational use of drugs (INRUD) jointly provided a few prescription and drug use indicators to guide rational prescription writing practice. Aim of the study was to assess the effect of pharmaco-therapeutic audit meetings on prescription writing and its rationality.Methods: This was a single center cross-sectional, prospective study conducted over a period of 14 months (December 2018-February 2020). Prescriptions from outpatient departments of general medicine, pulmonary medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR), community and family medicine (CFM), pediatrics and psychiatry were collected. All the collected prescriptions were screened for rationality using WHO/INRUD core indicators and the index of rational drug prescribing was calculated. Prescriptions beyond acceptable limit were discussed in PTAM and same process was repeated over next 2 months to assess change in prescribing patterns after PTAM. Chi-square and student’s t-test was used for statistical analysis.Results: Statistically significant change in proportions for antibiotic prescribing was 3.4% [95% CI (-1.7%-9.4%), p=0.20] and prescriptions with generic name drugs was 10.5% [95% CI (6.1-14.6%) p&lt;0.0001 was seen while no significant change was seen in injectable preparation use 0.6% [95% CI (-0.6%-1.5%); p=0.26)] and prescriptions from essential drug list (EDL) 0.5% [95% CI (-4.2%-5.4%) p=0.83].Conclusions: Our study showed that PTAM is an effective way to improve rationality of prescriptions and must be done regularly for improving prescribing practices.

Dental Students' Knowledge about Indications of Antibiotics in the Treatment of Endodontic Infections

Objective: Aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of Ordu University, Faculty of Dentistry students about systemic antibiotic indications in endodontic infections. Materials and Methods: Third, fourth and fifth year students of Ordu University, Faculty of Dentistry were asked to provide an online survey about systemic antibiotic indications for the management of endodontic infections. Two hundred and sixteen students were requested to participate in this survey. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test and Fischer's exact test were used to analyze the data. Significance level was set at P<0.05. Results: One hundred eighty-five students (85.6%) answered the questions satisfactorily. The most preferred antibiotic prescribing duration was determined as 7 days (42.2%). Among all respondents, the most preferred antibiotics in adult patients not allergic to penicillin were Amoxicillin + Clavulanic acid 1gm (31.4%) and Amoxicillin 500mg (18.4%), respectively. The most preferred antibiotic in patients with allergies to penicillin was Clindamycin 600mg (58.4%). In symptomatic apical periodontitis (SAP) cases with necrotic pulp, moderate/severe symptoms and no swelling, 11.4% of the respondents prescribed antibiotics, while 64.9% of the respondents prescribed antibiotics at SAP cases with necrotic pulp, swelling and moderate/severe symptoms. Conclusion: Dental students showed satisfactory knowledge about antibiotic prescribing in endodontic infections when compared to their peers in other studies. Specific aspects of antibiotic prescribing knowledge that needs improvement include types of antibiotics and indications for antibiotic prescribing in endodontic infections.

Antimicrobial use across six referral hospitals in Tanzania: a point prevalence survey

ObjectiveTo delineate the prevalence and factors associated with antimicrobial use across six referral hospitals in Tanzania using WHO point prevalence survey (PPS) methodology to inform hospital-specific antimicrobial stewardship programmes.DesignCross-sectional analytical...

Analysis of classical prescription Jinshui Liujun Jian based on ancient literature

To provide the ancient literary evidence support for the clinical application and development of classical prescription based on systematical collection and analysis of the ancient Chinese medical literature containing Jinshui Liujun Jian, including its origin and development. Bibliometric analysis was used and information of Jinshui Liujun Jian in ancient Chinese medical literature was then collected for statistical analysis of formula compositions, main indications, dosage, preparation methods, etc. A total of 151 valid items of data were obtained from 48 ancient Chinese medicine books. Jinshui Liujun Jian was first recorded in Jingyue Quanshu written by ZHANG Jiebin. This prescription consisted of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Pinelliae Rhizome, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Poria and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizome Praeparata cum Melle, and it was mainly used to treat the deficiency of lung and kidney, edema and excess production of phlegm, or Yin deficiency in the old, insufficient blood-qi, wind-cold evil, cough and disgusting, asthma and excessive phlegm. Doctors in later dynasties mostly followed the prescription compositions, dosages and indications in Jingyue Quanshu, and extended the clinical application of this prescription.

Macrolides in the modern therapy of community-acquired pneumonia in children

Community-acquired pneumonia remains one of the most pressing problems in pediatrics. The article presents data on its prevalence, child mortality from this disease, diagnostic criteria and approaches to therapy. In the Russian Federation, respiratory diseases in children aged 0-17 take third place in the structure of causes of death after external causes and malformations. The age characteristics of the etiological spectrum of community-acquired pneumonia in children and the problem of drug resistance of pathogens are discussed in detail. The sharp increase in resistance to macrolide antibiotics of the most common pathogen of the disease in early and pre-school age, pneumococcus, which occurred in recent years, makes it necessary to reconsider the question of the place of these drugs in pediatric practice. At the same time, macrolides remain highly active against atypical pathogens, whose etiological significance increases with age. In this regard, modern indications for prescription of macrolides, unique distinctions of 16-membered josamycin macrolide from other drugs of this series, and mechanisms of its action are reviewed and clarified in the article. Due to the peculiarities of its chemical structure, josamycin remains active against a significant part of pneumococci, which is increasingly resistant to 14- and 15-membered macrolides. The advantages of children’s dosage forms are presented, in particular, the dispersible tablet (solutab). This form, due to controlled release, provides convenience of use, maximum bioavailability (regardless of food intake), minimal frequency of side effects, and does not affect the gastrointestinal motility. Treatment of pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections, especially in young children, is not limited by antibiotics, is always complex and is based on the prevailing syndromes in the clinical picture.

Time Trends and Factors Associated with Antibiotic Prescribing in Swiss Primary Care (2008 to 2020).

Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is a major threat to public health, and the majority of antibiotics are prescribed in the outpatient setting, especially in primary care. Monitoring antibiotic consumption is one key measure in containing ABR, but Swiss national surveillance data are limited. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study to characterise the patterns of antibiotic prescriptions, assess the time trends, and identify the factors associated with antibiotic prescribing in Swiss primary care. Using electronic medical records data, we analysed 206,599 antibiotic prescriptions from 112,378 patients. Based on 27,829 patient records, respiratory (52.1%), urinary (27.9%), and skin (4.8%) infections were the commonest clinical indications for antibiotic prescribing. The most frequently prescribed antibiotics were broad-spectrum penicillins (BSP) (36.5%), fluoroquinolones (16.4%), and macrolides/lincosamides (13.8%). Based on the WHO AWaRe classification, antibiotics were 57.9% Core-Access and 41.7% Watch, 69% of which were fluoroquinolones and macrolides. Between 2008 and 2020, fluoroquinolones and macrolides/lincosamides prescriptions significantly declined by 53% and 51%; BSP prescriptions significantly increased by 54%. Increasing patients’ age, volume, and employment level were significantly associated with antibiotic prescribing. Our results may inform future antibiotic stewardship interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing.

Enteral Nutrition In 6 Malaysian Intensive Care Units: A Point Prevalence Study of Prescription Practices

INTRODUCTION: Enteral nutrition (EN) is the first line of nutrition therapy for critically ill patients with an intact gastrointestinal tract. Even though intensive care units (ICUs) generally have established feeding protocols, prescribing practices to achieve nutrition goal is still widely variable among intensive care practitioners. The aim of this study was mainly to investigate commonly prescribed types and energy concentration in EN formulations including protein prescription. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was an observational, point prevalence study, involving six level 3 ICUs in Malaysia. All patients aged type of EN formulation and protein prescription recorded. RESULTS: A total of 109 patients were included in the analysis out of which 78% of them were mechanically ventilated. At the point of the study, more than 16 years of age in the participating ICUs on the 11th of October 2016 were enrolled in this study and 71.5% (78/109) received EN. Among the EN group, 68% (53/78) received standard formulation feeds (1kcal/ml) while the rest received energy dense formulation (&gt;1kcal/ml). Fluid restriction was the main indication for energy dense formulation prescription, occurring in almost all (24/25) of the patients. There was no report of feeding intolerance. Only 2/109 received parenteral nutrition (PN) giving the EN to PN ratio of 30:1. The mean protein prescription was 0.9g/kg (SD± 0.4). CONCLUSION: Prescription of EN was 30 times more frequent than PN in these ICUs. In those receiving EN, standard formulation feed was 3 times more commonly prescribed than energy dense feeds with fluid restriction being the main indication of the latter. Protein prescription was less than the guideline recommendation.

Biomarkers of airways inflammation in patients with severe asthma in a real clinical practice

Severe asthma is a heterogeneous disease consisting of several endotypes and phenotypes diagnosed due to different biomarkers. Frequency of different endotypes and phenotypes in real clinical practice needs further investigation.The aim of this study was to assess biomarkers of T2-inflammation in patients with severe asthma in a single secondary care center.Methods. We examined 96 adult outpatients (34% male) with severe asthma. Data collected included demographics, smoking history, asthma exacerbations during previous 12 months, medication use, comorbidities. Lung function tests were assessed by using the Spirograph 2120 (Vitalograph, Great Britain). Blood eosinophils (Eos) were measured by automatic haemoanalyser. Atopic status was determined by positive skin prick-test (&gt; 3 mm) and/or serum specific IgE to common inhalant allergens. Serum total IgE levels were assessed by immunofluorescence assay. FeNO was measured by a chemiluminescence analyzer (Model LR4000; Logan Research, Rochester, UK). Presence of allergy, need for regular oral steroid use, blood Eos ≥ 150 cell/μl and FeNO ≥ 20 ppb were considered as markers of T2-driven inflammation. Asthma control and quality of life were assessed by using Russian versions of ACQ-5 and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Statistical analyses were performed with Statistica Ver. 10.0 (StatSoft, Inc., USA).Results. The majority of patients with severe asthma (93%) have at least one or more elevated markers (presence of allergy, need for regular oral steroid use, Eos ≥ 150 cell/μl or FeNO ≥ 20 ppb) of T2-inflammation. Biomarkers levels did not differ in non-steroid-dependent and steroid-dependent patients. The most frequent markers were allergy and blood Eos ≥ 150 cell/μl. Two or more elevated biomarkers were revealed in 72% of patients.Conclusion. The majority of patients with severe asthma in real clinical practice have signs of T2-inflammation. It seems that many severe asthmatics have indications for prescription of biological and can be treated by more than one of monoclonal antibodies against major cytokines of T2-inflammation.

Controlled release of ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone from a single ototopical administration of antibiotic-loaded polymer microspheres and thermoresponsive gel.

Acute otitis media (AOM) is the main indication for pediatric antibiotic prescriptions, accounting for 25% of prescriptions. While the use of topical drops can minimize the administered dose of antibiotic and adverse systemic effects compared to oral antibiotics, their use has limitations, partially due to low patient compliance, high dosing frequency, and difficulty of administration. Lack of proper treatment can lead to development of chronic OM, which may require invasive interventions. Previous studies have shown that gel-based drug delivery to the ear is possible with intratympanic injection or chemical permeation enhancers (CPEs). However, many patients are reluctant to accept invasive treatments and CPEs have demonstrated toxicity to the tympanic membrane (TM). We developed a novel method of delivering therapeutics to the TM and middle ear using a topical, thermoresponsive gel depot containing antibiotic-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres. Our in vitro and ex vivo results suggest that the sustained presentation can safely allow therapeutically relevant drug concentrations to penetrate the TM to the middle ear for up to 14 days. Animal results indicate sufficient antibiotic released for treatment from topical administration 24h after bacterial inoculation. However, animals treated 72h after inoculation, a more clinically relevant treatment practice, displayed spontaneous clearance of infection as is also often observed in the clinic. Despite this variability in the disease model, data suggest the system can safely treat bacterial infection, with future studies necessary to optimize microsphere formulations for scaled up dosage of antibiotic as well as further investigation of the influence of spontaneous bacterial clearance and of biofilm formation on effectiveness of treatment. To our knowledge, this study represents the first truly topical drug delivery system to the middle ear without the use of CPEs.

Utilization of Teledentistry in Antimicrobial Prescribing and Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases during COVID-19 Lockdown.

Objectives This study aimed to analyze Jordanian dentists’ inquiries on oral infections and antimicrobial prescribing using dental professional WhatsApp groups during coronavirus disease lockdown period. Materials and Methods Three professional WhatsApp groups of Jordanian dentists were reviewed and analyzed for inquiries posted during the period from January to May 2020. Inquiries were sent from patients to their dentists who posted these inquiries to the professional WhatsApp dental groups for consultation and professional advice. All queries regarding oral infections and antimicrobial prescribing were extracted and analyzed. Results Three WhatsApp professional groups with a total numbers of members of 750 dentists who posted queries about their patients were included in this study. Dentist members posted queries about their patients to these professional WhatsApp groups. There was a total of 32 inquiries regarding oral lesions and 11 consultations regarding prescribing and dental management of medically compromised patients giving a total of 43 consultations. Among which there were 19 inquiries on oral infections and 9 inquiries on antimicrobial prescribing giving a total of 28 consultations. Most common inquiries were on bacterial infections (localized dentoalveolar abscess, pericoronitis, cellulitis, and lymphoid hyperplasia of the tongue), viral herpetic infections, and Candida infections (erythematous and pseudomembranous candidiasis). Conclusions Many dental practitioners cannot distinguish the correct diagnostic features of oral infections particularly viral and fungal infections. Continuing education should be considered to focus on clinical manifestations of various oral infections. Further, educational activities that focus on variations in treatment protocols for various infections should be introduced particularly those that concern indications for antimicrobial prescribing.

Changes in early high-risk opioid prescribing practices after policy interventions in Washington State.

ObjectiveTo test associations between several opioid prescribing policy interventions and changes in early (acute/subacute) high‐risk opioid prescribing practices.Data SourcesPopulation‐based workers' compensation pharmacy billing and claims data, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (January 2008‐June 2015).Study DesignWe used interrupted time series analysis to test associations between three policy intervention timepoints and monthly proportions of population‐based measures of high‐risk, low‐risk, and any workers’ compensation‐related opioid prescribing. We also tested associations between the policy intervention timepoints and five high‐risk opioid prescribing indicators among workers prescribed any opioids within 3 months after injury: (a) >7 cumulative (not necessarily consecutive) days‘ supply of opioids during the acute phase, (b) high‐dose opioids, (c) concurrent sedatives, (d) chronic opioids, and (e) a composite high‐risk opioid prescribing indicator.Principal FindingsWithin 3 months after injury, 9 percent of workers were exposed to high‐risk and 12 percent to low‐risk workers’ compensation‐related opioid prescribing; 79 percent filled no workers’ compensation‐related opioid prescription. Among workers prescribed any early (acute/subacute) opioids, the indicator for >7 days' supply of opioids during the acute phase was present for 30 percent, high‐dose opioids for 18 percent, concurrent sedatives for 3 percent, and chronic opioids for 2 percent. Beyond a general shift toward more infrequent and lower‐risk workers’ compensation‐related opioid prescribing, each policy intervention timepoint was significantly associated with reductions in specific acute/subacute high‐risk opioid prescribing indicators; each of the four specific high‐risk opioid prescribing indicators had significant reductions associated with at least one policy.ConclusionsSeveral state‐level opioid prescribing policies were significantly associated with safer workers’ compensation‐related opioid prescribing practices during the first 3 months after injury (acute/subacute phase), which should in turn reduce transition to chronic opioids and associated negative health outcomes.

Use of prescribing indicators as a means of identifying variation in the prevalence of valproate prescribing between health communities: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo determine the appropriateness of valproate prescribing indicators in England and Wales as a means of identifying variation in the prevalence of valproate use among women and girls of childbearing...

Evaluation of Inpatient Opioid Prescribing Resulting in Outpatient Opioid Prescriptions for Previously Opioid-Naive Internal Medicine Patients

Background: Little data exist regarding inpatient opioid prescriptions as a potential contribution to the current opioid crisis. While pain management is essential to inpatient care, the ease of which opioids may be prescribed for all levels of pain may contribute to unnecessary inpatient exposure and new outpatient prescriptions. The aim of this study was to observe patterns of opioid prescribing potentially leading to new opioid prescriptions at hospital discharge for previously opioid-naive patients. Methods: This study was a single-center observational study of opioid-naïve internal medicine patients who were prescribed inpatient opioids. Patient charts were reviewed to assess the patterns of inpatient opioid and non-opioid analgesic use, new opioid prescriptions upon discharge and medical record documentation justifying the need for outpatient therapy. Results: Among the 101 patients included in this study, 71 were prescribed IV opioids and 45 were prescribed both IV and oral opioids. Non-opioid analgesics were available for 78 patients. Twenty patients were discharged with a new prescription. The mean duration of outpatient prescriptions was 3.85 +/- 1.85 days with mean morphine milligram equivalents (MME) of 44.25 +/- 22.16. Among patients receiving these outpatient prescriptions, 11 had reference to the therapy in the discharge summary. Conclusions: This observational study describes an opportunity to improve inpatient opioid prescribing practices which may reduce new prescriptions for continued outpatient therapy. Further work should focus on optimizing use of non-opioid analgesia, minimizing use of IV opioids and requiring prescribers to justify the indication for new opioid prescriptions upon hospital discharge.

A Multicenter Point-Prevalence Survey of Antibiotic Use in Haiti, June–August 2019: Findings and Implications

Background: Inappropriate use of antibiotics in hospitalized settings contributes to the selection and emergence of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. This trend is particularly challenging in resource-constrained settings where the high burden of infectious diseases, combined with suboptimal infection prevention and control measures, are further complicated by limited access to reliable microbiological services to inform antimicrobial prescription at the patient level. In this study, we describe the use of antibiotics in selected Haitian hospitals; we aimed to create a baseline to inform antimicrobial stewardship interventions. Methods: WHO/PAHO Hospital Antibiotic Use Point Prevalence Survey (HAMU-PPS) were conducted in 6 acute-care Haitian hospitals: La-Paix and Hospital-Albert (June 2019) and Hospital-Universitaire-Justinien, Hospital-Bienfaisance-de-Pignon, Hospital-Sacre-Coeur-de-Milot, and Hospital Immaculee-Conception-des-Cayes (July-August 2019) in 6 different cities. Trained data collectors completed electronic forms using REDCap software including data related to antibiotic use, indications, and utilization of laboratory services from medical records of all inpatients meeting study inclusion criteria. Analyses were done using Microsoft Excel software (v2016). Results: In total, 510 inpatients records were surveyed. Patients ages ranged from 0 to 92, with median age of 27 years (IQR, 4–47); 269 were women (57.7%) and 239 were men (46.9%). The prevalence of antibiotic use was 73% (95% CI, 68.2%–81.8 %); this prevalence was 74.5% among men (178 of 239) and 70.6% among women (190 of 269). The highest antibiotic use was observed among children aged &lt;1 year (98 of 108, 90.7%). Of the patients on antibiotics, 63% were treated with &gt;1 antibiotic. In addition, 384 indications for antibiotic prescription were reported. Of the indications for antibiotics therapy, 49.7% (191 of 384) were for treatment, and 49% (188 of 384) were for prophylaxis. Of the treatments, 92% were empiric with 6% reported as targeted. Only 13% (50 of 370) of the patient records indicated that samples were taken for microbiological identification. Of those, 9 had results for culture, and 1 had results for drug susceptibility. The most commonly reported antibiotic was ceftriaxone (n = 110, 23%) followed by ampicillin (n = 153, 21.4%) and metronidazole (n = 135, 20%). Conclusions: This study shows high use of antibiotics among hospitalized patients in Haitian hospitals, especially in children aged &lt;1 year. Almost all the antibiotics were prescribed as either empiric or prophylaxis therapy, with very few microbiology samples collected. These results suggest limited laboratory corroboration across hospitals to inform antibiotic use. Implementation of antimicrobial stewardship interventions is recommended to optimize antibiotic therapy and to mitigate antimicrobial resistance in hospital care settings, but adaptation of the methodology should be done in settings with limited laboratory capacity.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

A National Aged Care Infection and Antimicrobial Use Survey: A Three-Year Report

Background: Australia has ~2,700 aged-care homes and 180 multipurpose services. The annual Aged Care National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey (AC NAPS), first pilot tested in 2015, is a surveillance tool that can be used in these facilities to monitor infections and antimicrobial use. It assists in identifying priorities for local and national infection control and antimicrobial stewardship interventions. Methods: Nurses or pharmacists collect point prevalence data using standardized data collection forms: (1) A facility form, completed by each participating facility, includes resident-level data fields (eg, number of residents present on the survey day). (2) An infection form is completed for residents with signs and/or symptoms of infection. (3) An antimicrobial form is completed for residents who are prescribed an antimicrobial. Results: Regarding prevalence,for those 31 facilities that participated annually, there was no significant change in either prevalence rate (Table 1). Regarding priority areas for improvement (2018 data only), 64.6% of prescriptions were for residents who did not have signs and/or symptoms of a suspected infection in the week prior to the antimicrobial start date. The most common clinical indications for prescriptions were skin soft-tissue and mucosal infection (18.3%), cystitis (16.0%) and pneumonia (9.4%). Cefalexin (20.3%), clotrimazole (19.0%), and chloramphenicol (7.0%) were the most commonly prescribed antimicrobials. Review or stop dates were not documented for 58.9% of prescriptions. Only 39.2% of antimicrobials were prescribed in the 7 days prior to the survey day; 28.3% were prescribed &gt;6 months prior. Furthermore, 36.3% of all prescriptions were for topical application. In addition, 19.0% of antimicrobials were prescribed for PRN (as needed) administration; most (94.4%) of these were for topical antimicrobials, most commonly clotrimazole (65.4%). Conclusions: The AC NAPS has identified infections and consistent patterns of antimicrobial use that may adversely affect the safety of care for Australian aged-care residents. Interventions are now being developed, implemented, and evaluated to address identified ‘priority areas for improvement.’Funding: NoneDisclosures: None