Median Number Of Prescriptions Research Articles

Language-agnostic pharmacovigilant text mining to elicit side effects from clinical notes and hospital medication records.

We sought to craft a drug safety signalling pipeline associating latent information in clinical free text with exposures to single drugs and drug pairs. Data arose from 12 secondary and tertiary public hospitals in two Danish regions, comprising approximately half the Danish population. Notes were operationalised with a fastText embedding, based on which we trained 10 270 neural‐network models (one for each distinct single‐drug/drug‐pair exposure) predicting the risk of exposure given an embedding vector. We included 2 905 251 admissions between May 2008 and June 2016, with 13 740 564 distinct drug prescriptions; the median number of prescriptions was 5 (IQR: 3–9) and in 1 184 340 (41%) admissions patients used ≥5 drugs concomitantly. A total of 10 788 259 clinical notes were included, with 179 441 739 tokens retained after pruning. Of 345 single‐drug signals reviewed, 28 (8.1%) represented possibly undescribed relationships; 186 (54%) signals were clinically meaningful. Sixteen (14%) of the 115 drug‐pair signals were possible interactions, and two (1.7%) were known. In conclusion, we built a language‐agnostic pipeline for mining associations between free‐text information and medication exposure without manual curation, predicting not the likely outcome of a range of exposures but also the likely exposures for outcomes of interest. Our approach may help overcome limitations of text mining methods relying on curated data in English and can help leverage non‐English free text for pharmacovigilance.

Clinically refined epidemiology of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease in South Korea: overestimation when relying only on diagnostic codes

BackgroundThere have been reports of increases in the incidence and prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) in several countries, but no studies have analyzed claims data using laboratory tests. This study aimed to estimate the nationwide epidemiology and medical treatments of NTM-PD according to laboratory tests run in Korea.MethodsUsing claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, we analyzed patients with nontuberculous mycobacterium (ICD-10: A31) who were diagnosed from Jan 2007 to Jun 2019. The incidence and prevalence of NTM-PD and whether related laboratory tests were performed were analyzed. Diagnostic code-based NTM-PD patients were defined as patients who had NTM as a diagnosis on at least 2 occasions within 180 days. Clinically refined NTM-PD patients were defined as those excluding hospital-diagnosed patients with acid-fast bacilli (AFB) culture rates less than 5%. Laboratory tests included AFB smears, AFB culture, NTM identification, and drug susceptibility tests (DSTs).ResultsA total of 60,071 diagnostic code-based NTM-PD patients were evaluated. Clinically refined NTM-PD included 45,321 patients, excluding 14,750 (24.6%) patients diagnosed in hospitals with low AFB culture rates. The annual incidence per 100,000 population increased from 2.9 cases in 2008 to 12.3 cases in 2018. The annual prevalence per 100,000 population increased from 5.3 cases in 2008 to 41.7 cases in 2018. After removing outliers according to the AFB culture rate, a significant decrease in incidence was observed in women younger than 50 years. Among patients with clinically refined NTM-PD, the test rates for AFB culture, NTM identification, and DST were 84.3%, 59.1%, and 40.4%, respectively. From the outpatient clinic, 17,977 (39.7%) patients were prescribed drugs related to NTM treatment, with a median number of prescriptions of 7 (interquartile range (IQR) 3–11) and a median duration from the diagnosis to end of treatment of 330 (IQR 118–578) days.ConclusionsAlthough the incidence and prevalence of NTM-PD are on the rise, the recent surge in women 50 years of age is overestimated in patients not adequately tested. In claim-based studies, there may be limitations in estimating the epidemiological data with only the diagnostic codes.

Polypharmacy in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Prevalence and Outcomes in a Single-center Series.

Background:Polypharmacy can complicate the course and management of chronic diseases, and has been little explored in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to date.Aim:The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of polypharmacy in a series of IBD patients, describing associated factors and its correlation with poor disease outcomes.Materials and Methods:Retrospective study of a single-center series. Polypharmacy was defined as the simultaneous use of 5 or more drugs. Disease outcomes, IBD treatment nonadherence and undertreatment were evaluated at 1 year.Results:A total of 407 patients were included [56% males, median age: 48 y (interquartile range, 18 to 92 y)], of whom 60.2% had Crohn’s disease; Chronic comorbidity and multiple comorbidities were present in 54% and 27% of patients, respectively. Median number of prescriptions per patient was 3 (range: 0 to 15). Polypharmacy was identified in 18.4% of cases, inappropriate medication in 10.5% and use of high-risk drugs in 6.1% (mainly opioids). In multivariate analysis, polypharmacy was associated with chronic comorbidity [odds ratio (OR)=10.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.14-47.56; P˂0.003], multiple comorbidities (OR=3.53, 95% CI: 1.46-8.51; P=0.005) and age above 62 years (OR=3.54, 95% CI: 1.67-7.51; P=0.001). No association with poor disease outcomes was found at 12 months. However, polypharmacy was the only factor associated with IBD treatment nonadherence (OR=2.24, 95% CI: 1.13-4.54, P=0.02).Conclusions:Polypharmacy occurs in around 1 in 5 patients with IBD, mainly in older adults and those with comorbidity. This situation could interfere with adherence to IBD treatment and therapeutic success.

A cost\u2013benefit analysis of hospital-wide medication reviews: a period prevalence study

Background For specific medical specialties it has been shown that clinical pharmacists can have a beneficial effect on the reduction of drug-related problems by performing medication reviews. However, little is known on the cost–benefit ratio of hospital-wide implementation of medication reviews. Aim To investigate the effect of conducting hospital-wide medication reviews on the detection and resolution of drug-related problems, and to calculate the cost–benefit ratio of the intervention. Method In this observational prospective period prevalence study, medication reviews were conducted during five consecutive working days in a Dutch university hospital. Patients admitted for more than 24 h were included. The cost–benefit ratio of conducting the medication reviews was calculated by dividing the total costs by the total savings. Results In 622 medication reviews, 709 potential drug-related problems (1.1 per patient) were detected. The most common advice was to stop medication (38.6%). Patients with a potentially drug-related problem were significantly older, had a higher median number of prescriptions, and the median number of days from admission to the time of medication reviews was longer. Conducting medication reviews showed a positive cost–benefit ratio of 9.7. Conclusions Hospital-wide medication reviews by clinical pharmacists have a positive cost–benefit ratio and contribute to the detection and the resolution of drug related problems (DRPs), mainly by reducing overtreatment.

Gender Differences in Outpatient Pediatric Drug Utilization: A Cohort Study From Southern Italy

Objective: The aim of this retrospective population-based cohort study is to in-depth investigate gender-specific drug utilization pattern in pediatric outpatient population.Methods: By using a large administrative database of the Local Health Unit of Caserta (Southern Italy), a pediatric cohort from the birth to 18 years was observed over 6 years (from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2015). Yearly prevalence of drug use per 100 inhabitants as well as the median number of prescriptions was stratifying by gender. Prevalence of acute and recurrent use of the most frequently used active substances was calculated for the year 2015.Results: A decreasing trend in prevalence of drug use (−3.2%, with a reduction of median number of drugs dispensed) was observed in children for both sexes, from 2010 to 2015. In 2015, the drug classes most commonly used among children of any age were modestly but consistently prescribed more to males than to females: systemic anti-infective drugs (M = 43.5%; F = 42.3%), respiratory tract drugs (M = 29.0%; F = 26.1%), and hormones (M = 13.1%; F = 11.3%). Irrespective of gender, beclomethasone was the most utilized active substance in the first 2 years of life, while thereafter amoxicillin/clavulanate in combination.Conclusions: In a large population of pediatric outpatients no major difference was seen between genders, although commonly used drug classes; in particular, antibiotics, respiratory tract drugs and Hormones with corticosteroids for systemic use prescribed modestly but consistently to larger extent in males than females.

LO27: Improving emergency department management of acute opioid withdrawal

Introduction: With the current opioid crisis in Canada, presentations of acute opioid withdrawal (AOW) to emergency departments (ED) are increasing. Undertreated symptoms may result in relapse, overdose and death. Buprenorphine/naloxone (bup/nal) is a partial opioid agonist/antagonist used to mitigate symptoms of AOW, approved by Health Canad in 2007 for opioid use disorder. It is superior to clonidine, and increases follow up with addiction treatment programs when initiated in the ED. Nevertheless, in our inner-city ED in 2014, bup/nal was rarely prescribed. We aimed to increase ED physician prescribing of bup/nal for AOW by 50% over a 26-month period. Methods: Commencing in 2014, an interprofessional team of ED physicians, nurses (RN), pharmacists and QI specialists collaborated to improve the care of patients with AOW. PDSA cycles included: (1) needs assessment of emergency physicians knowledge and practices in 2014; (2) Grand Rounds and a web based information sheet in 2015; (3) ED stocking of bup/nal; (4) convenience order set to standardize AOW management; (5) Grand Rounds in 2016 and (6) peer-coaching for RNs, including case-based discussions and pocket card cognitive aids. The outcome was the number of times bup/nal was prescribed per month by ED physicians between Sept, 2015 and Oct, 2017. Data included the prescriber and use of order set as the process measure. The balancing measure was the number of patients referred to the Addiction Medicine Team who subsequently received bup/nal. Results: Bup/nal was prescribed by ED physicians 70 times, and 14 times by the Addiction Medicine Team. With each PDSA cycle, there was an increase in prescribing, with no significant shifts or trends. By all physicians, the median number of prescriptions per month was 3, and increased from 2 to 4 prescriptions/month after nursing education. There was a smaller increase in the median from 2 to 3 prescriptions/month by ED physicians alone. The order set was used 97% of the time. Conclusion: Bup/nal is safe, effective, and increases follow up with addiction programs for comprehensive assessment and treatment planning. We met our goal of increasing bup/nal prescribing in the ED for AOW by 50%. Moreover, prescribing increased by 100% with the addition of patients who received bup/nal after a referral to the Addiction Medicine Team. The intervention with the greatest impact was RN education, demonstrating that peer-coaching and teaching by an interprofessional team is key to changing practice. Unfortunately, overall prescribing remains low, and ED physicians may still be hesitant to prescribe bup/nal and defer to the specialists. It is unclear if this is due to a low number of patients presenting with AOW, patients with contraindications to bup/nal, or ED physician factors. The next step is an audit of all patients with AOW to see what percentage of those eligible are treated with bup/nal. A follow up survey to determine ongoing barriers will inform further PDSA cycles.

Is Fentanyl Patch End-Of-Dose Failure Associated with Body Mass Index? (FR441A)

•Explain to all patients the nature and possibility of end-of-dose failure to patients when initiating therapy with fentanyl transdermal preparations.•Increase screening of patients on using transdermal fentanyl preparations for end-of-dose failure, with particular attention to patients with cancer cachexia. Transdermal fentanyl is widely used for patients with cancer pain requiring a long-acting opioid analgesic. The delivery of fentanyl in this form relies on a drug reservoir forming in subcutaneous fat. The manufacturer-recommended initial dosing frequency is every 72 hours. However, some patients experience “end-of-dose failure” (EDF) with worsening pain after a shorter interval. No studies have examined whether EDF correlates with body mass index (BMI). To assess whether low BMI is associated with prescription of transdermal fentanyl at q48h dosing frequency. All outpatient fentanyl patch prescriptions dispensed between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015 at our academic cancer center were extracted using an institutional database. For each prescription patient age, sex, race, patch dose, dosing frequency, and cancer type, as well as height and weight (used to calculate BMI) were collected. A generalized estimating equations (GEE) model was fit to account for correlation within patient and determine association between BMI and patch frequency. A total of 2,750 patients filled 6,569 fentanyl patch prescriptions over the study period. Patients were a median of 60 years old, 56.1% female, and 73.3% white (11.2% African American, 7.2% Asian). The median number of prescriptions per patient was 1 at a median dose of 37. Among 287 underweight patients (BMI<18.5), 34 (11.8%) received at least one q48h fentanyl patch prescription compared with 62 (10.2%) of obese (BMI>30) patients. Patients who received q48h patch had lower BMI (.58 unit decrease; p<0.01) than patients who received the q72h patch. Lower BMI is associated with q48h fentanyl patch dosing, suggesting that it may also be associated with end-of-dose failure in cancer patients. These patients should be closely monitored and alerted to this possibility.

Early post-therapy prescription drug usage among survivors of childhood cancers.

147 Background: Childhood cancer survivors often develop treatment-associated morbidities. We hypothesized that emerging treatment-related medical morbidities would be reflected in patterns of prescription drug usage among survivors in the first three years after therapy completion. Methods: Using the Truven Health MarketScan Commercial Claims database, we identified survivors of childhood (0-21 years-old at diagnosis) leukemia, lymphoma, central nervous system (CNS), bone, or gonadal tumors who completed therapy during 2000 - 2011. Patients were identified using diagnosis codes and cancer-specific procedure codes for chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation therapy. Prescription fills during the first three years following therapy completion were examined and categorized by drug class. Median numbers of prescriptions per survivor were compared to age- and sex-matched children without cancer. Relative risks (RR) for any prescription and for prescriptions by drug class were calculated comparing survivors to children without cancer. Results: We identified 1,414 survivors and 14,140 children without cancer. The median number of unique drug class prescriptions among survivors ranged from 4 [gonadal] to 8 [CNS] in year 1 and from 2 [gonadal] to 6 [CNS] in year 3 compared to a median of 1 among children without cancer (p &lt; 0.001 for all comparisons). Increased risks for fills of antibiotics (RR in year 1: 1.5 [CNS, gonadal], 1.7 [bone], and 1.8 [leukemia, lymphoma]) and opioids (RR in year 1: 2.4 [lymphoma], 2.7 [gonadal], 4.0 [CNS], and 4.8 [leukemia, bone]) persisted throughout the three years among all cancer groups. Survivors of leukemia, lymphoma, CNS, and bone tumors had 2-4 times the risk for antidepressant prescriptions and 4-10 times the risk for anxiolytics. Survivors of leukemia, lymphoma, and bone tumors had 8-10 times the risk for ACE inhibitor prescriptions by the third year off therapy. Conclusions: Compared to children without cancer, childhood cancer survivors have higher rates of prescription drug use across many drug classes indicative of their higher burden of medical morbidities. Careful attention should be given to emerging morbidities during the early off-therapy period.

The burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with maintenance monotherapy in the UK.

BackgroundThis study characterized a cohort of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients on maintenance bronchodilator monotherapy for ≥6 months to establish their disease burden, measured by health care utilization.MethodsData were extracted from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink and linked to Hospital Episode Statistics. The monotherapy period spanned the first prescription of a long-acting β2-adrenergic agonist or a long-acting muscarinic antagonist until the end of the study (December 31, 2013) or until step up to dual/triple therapy, for example, addition of another long-acting bronchodilator, an inhaled corticosteroid, or both. A minimum of four consecutive prescriptions and 6 months on continuous monotherapy were required. Patients <50 years old at first COPD diagnosis or with another significant respiratory disease before starting monotherapy were excluded. Disease burden was evaluated by measuring patients’ rate of face-to-face interactions with a health care professional (HCP), COPD-related exacerbations, hospitalizations, and referrals.ResultsA cohort of 8,811 COPD patients (95% Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stage A/B) on maintenance monotherapy was identified between 2002 and 2013; 45% of these patients were still on monotherapy by the end of the study. Median time from first COPD diagnosis to first monotherapy prescription was 56 days, while the median time on maintenance bronchodilator monotherapy was 2 years. The median number of prescriptions was 14. On average, patients had 15 HCP interactions per year, and one in ten patients experienced a COPD exacerbation (N=8,811). One in 50 patients were hospitalized for COPD per year (n=4,848).ConclusionThe average monotherapy-treated patient had a higher than average HCP interaction rate. We also identified a large cohort of patients who were stepped up to triple therapy despite a low rate of exacerbations. The use of the new class of long-acting muscarinic antagonist/long-acting β2-adrenergic agonist fixed-dose combinations may provide a useful step-up treatment option in such monotherapy patients, before the use of inhaled corticosteroids.

Analgesic Drug Prescription Patterns on Five International Paediatric Wards.

Analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs are frequently prescribed in paediatrics. Prescribing and dosing patterns in hospitalised children are not well known. This study explores analgesic drug utilisation on five paediatric wards and discusses its findings in comparison with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. A sub-analysis of a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study was undertaken. Prescription data of children aged up to≤18years were collected between October 2008 and December 2009 on paediatric general medical wards in five hospitals in Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom (UK), Hong Kong (HK) and Malaysia. Analgesic drug prescriptions were analysed for prescribing patterns in terms of dosing, frequency and route of administration. Dosing data were compared with local recommendations and WHO guidelines for children. In the study cohort, 56.8% (726/1278) of paediatric patients received at least one analgesic drug prescription (1227 prescriptions). The median age of patients with analgesics was 2.2years [interquartile range (IQR) 0.8-7.3], and the median number of prescriptions per patient was one (IQR 1-2). The most commonly prescribed drugs were oral paracetamol (45.9%, 563/1227) and oral ibuprofen (19.9%, 244/1227). Daily doses of paracetamol ranged from 30mg/kg/day in Germany to 67-68mg/kg/day in the UK and HK (p<0.05). For ibuprofen, single doses ranged from 5-6mg/kg in HK and the UK to 10mg/kg in Germany and Australia (p<0.001). Opioid use prevalence was statistically different between the centres and ranged from 0 to 17.6% (p<0.001). This study provides a comprehensive overview of analgesic drug use of hospitalised children. Similar to primary care data, paracetamol is the most commonly used analgesic. As recommended by WHO guidelines, oral medication was favoured and opioids used in addition to paracetamol and ibuprofen. Overall drug utilisation was in line with local recommendations and WHO guidelines. Differences in use of paracetamol and ibuprofen among countries were seen, indicating that safety concerns are perceived differently. More large-scale safety studies are needed.

MEDICATION USE IN NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNITS ACROSS EUROPE

ObjectivesThis is the first Europe-wide study aiming to describe the medication use in Neonatal Intensive Care Units and to analyse the factors that might influence the prescription pattern.MethodsA pan-European one day point-prevalence study was conducted in 2012 where all of the prescriptions for hospitalised neonates were recorded. A trade name, manufacturer, active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), strength, galenic form and route of administration were registered.ResultsAltogether 2173 prescriptions were administered to 726 neonates from 21 countries, of whom 66% (477/726) were preterm, 12% (84/726) extremely preterm. There was inverse correlation between gestational age (GA) and median number of prescriptions per neonate (group median 2/IQR 1–4, extremely preterm 4/3–6, very preterm 3/2–5, late preterm 2/1–3, full-term 2/1–3). Median number of prescriptions per neonate was highest in the eastern region, among extremely preterm neonates (median=6.5/IQR 6–8.5). Highest prescription rate was for alimentary medicines (93/per 100 admissions), systemic antiinfectives (79/100) and medicines for blood (71/100). Antiinfectives were most frequently prescribed in the southern region (103/100). Multivitamins were most frequently used medications in most regions (western 74, southern 31, northern 31/100), except in eastern region (5/100). Most commonly prescribed API-s were multivitamins (32/100), caffeine (19/100), gentamicin (18/100), amino acids (18/100) and colecalciferol (15/100). Most frequently prescribed medications among extremely preterm neonates were caffeine (60/100), among very preterms multivitamins and caffeine (45 and 43/100), among late preterms multivitamins (44/100) and among full-terms phytomenadione (26/100) and gentamicin (24/100).ConclusionsOur study revealed the most commonly used medications in neonates. Higher prescription rate among preterm neonates calls for further analysis of the suitability and safety of medications for infants with lower GA.

P248 Current Copd Disease Burden Associated With Maintenance Monotherapy In The Uk

Introduction and objectives National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends long–acting bronchodilators, including β2-agonists (LABAs) or muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) as first line maintenance treatment for patients with COPD. The aim of this descriptive study was to characterise a cohort of COPD patients who were on maintenance bronchodilator monotherapy for at least six months to establish their disease burden, measured by healthcare utilisation. Methods Data were extracted from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) which also linked to Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). The monotherapy period spanned the first prescription of a LABA or LAMA until the end of the study period (31/12/2013) or until step-up to dual/triple therapy; for example the addition of another long acting bronchodilator, an ICS or ICS/LABA. A minimum of four consecutive prescriptions and six months on continuous monotherapy were required for study entry. Patients Results A cohort of 8,811 COPD patients (94% GOLD stage A or B) on maintenance monotherapy was identified between 2002 and 2013; 45% (N=3,947) of these patients were still on monotherapy by the end of the study period. The median time from first COPD diagnosis to first monotherapy prescription was 56 days while the median time on maintenance bronchodilator monotherapy was 748 days. The median number of prescriptions during this period was 14. Patients had a median of 19 HCP consultations and a mean of 0.1 (95% CI 0.1, 0.2, N= 8,811) COPD exacerbations and 0.02 (95% CI 0.01, 0.02, N=4,848) COPD hospitalisations per year. Conclusion In summary, COPD patients who are on maintenance bronchodilator monotherapy for at least six months appear to remain on this therapy for over two years despite having a disease burden that requires healthcare resources, particularly HCP consultations, at a cost to the NHS.

G-CSF utilization during abiraterone acetate (AA) and cabazitaxel (C) therapy: A retrospective U.S. claims analysis.

205 Background: AA and C are two recently approved therapies shown to extend survival in men with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) progressing after docetaxel treatment. The toxicity profiles of AA and C differ, and therefore it was hypothesized that the utilization of concomitant medications and supportive care measures, in particular G-CSF for the treatment of neutropenia, would differ as well. Methods: The Pharmetrics database (2008 to Jan 2012), a nationally representative, nonpayer-owned, integrated, commercial U.S. claims database, was used for this analysis. Eligible patients included those identified with a diagnosis of prostate cancer (ICD 9 code 185.X or 233.4) and a claim for either AA or C (identified by the appropriate NDC or J codes). Use of G-CSF was analyzed during treatment (defined as the period between the first claim to the last claim, full months inclusive) and also analyzed for the year prior to the first claim of either AA or C (index date). Results: 278 patients were identified with a claim for both cohorts. Median ages of patients in the two cohorts were similar (69 years in the AA cohort, 67.5 years in the C cohort). Docetaxel use in the year prior to the index date was 57% and 64% in the AA and C cohorts, respectively. The median duration of follow-up post-index date was 2.6 months in the AA cohort and 6.0 months in the C cohort. While the median number of prescriptions (3) was the same for the AA and C cohorts, the mean was slightly higher for C (4.4 vs 3.3). In the AA cohort, the use of G-CSF was as follows: 35% in the year before the index date and 3% during treatment. In the C cohort, the use of G-CSF was as follows: 42% in the year before the index date, and 67% during treatment. Conclusions: Based on this claims analysis, patients who received C were more likely to receive concomitant G-CSF vs patients who were receiving AA. This finding is consistent with the known risks/precautions relating to neutropenia as described in the TROPIC study for C. Prior to treatment, both cohorts had G-CSF use, which may be attributed to neutropenia during or following docetaxel therapy.

Corticosteroids and Open-Angle Glaucoma in the Elderly

It is largely unknown if corticosteroid-induced open-angle glaucoma (OAG) is an entity that is limited to a few susceptible individuals or whether it contributes significantly to the overall population burden of OAG. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an association between corticosteroid use and the incidence of OAG in the general elderly population. A prospective population-based cohort study was conducted in a general community setting. 3,939 participants of the Rotterdam Study aged 55 years and older for whom data from ophthalmic examinations at baseline and follow-up were available and who did not have glaucoma at baseline were included (baseline examination from 1991 to 1993; follow-up examinations from 1997 to 1999 and from 2002 to 2006). Ophthalmic examinations, including measurement of the intraocular pressure, assessment of the optic nerve head and perimetry, were performed at baseline and follow-up. The use of corticosteroids was monitored continuously during follow-up. Corticosteroids were stratified into five groups: ophthalmic steroids, inhaled steroids, nasal steroids, oral steroids and steroid ointments. Associations between the use of corticosteroids and incident OAG were assessed using logistic regression models. The study outcome measures were the odds ratios (ORs) of associations between the use of corticosteroids and incident OAG. During a mean follow-up of 9.8 years, 108 participants (2.8%) developed OAG. The median number of steroid prescriptions during follow-up was 2 for ophthalmic, 7 for inhaled, 2 for nasal and 2 for oral steroids, and 3 for steroid ointments. The OR of the use of ophthalmic steroids was 1.04 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66, 1.65; p = 0.86], inhaled steroids 0.79 (95% CI 0.42, 1.48; p = 0.46), nasal steroids 1.26 (95% CI 0.74, 2.13; p = 0.40), oral steroids 1.03 (95% CI 0.65, 1.64; p = 0.89) and steroid ointments 0.70 (95% CI 0.47, 1.05; p = 0.086). These analyses were adjusted for age, sex, high myopia and family history of glaucoma. The small median numbers of prescriptions made it difficult to evaluate dose-response relationships. None of the classes of steroids were associated with the incidence of OAG in this elderly population.

Antibiotic prescribing in dental practice in Belgium

To assess the types and frequency of antibiotic prescriptions by Belgian dentists, the indications for antibiotic prescription, and dentists' knowledge about recommended practice in antibiotic use. In this cross-sectional survey, dental practitioners were asked to record information about all antibiotics prescribed to their patients during a 2-week period. The dental practitioners were also asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire regarding demographic data, prescribing practices, and knowledge about antibiotic use. A random sample of 268 Belgian dentists participated in the survey. During the 2-week period, 24 421 patient encounters were recorded; 1033 patients were prescribed an antibiotic (4.2%). The median number of prescriptions per dentist for the 2 weeks was 3. Broad spectrum antibiotics were most commonly prescribed: 82% of all prescriptions were for amoxycillin, amoxycillin-clavulanic acid and clindamycin. Antibiotics were often prescribed in the absence of fever (92.2%) and without any local treatment (54.2%). The most frequent diagnosis for which antibiotics were prescribed was periapical abscess (51.9%). Antibiotics were prescribed to 63.3% of patients with periapical abscess and 4.3% of patients with pulpitis. Patterns of prescriptions were confirmed by the data from the self-reported practice. Discrepancies between observed and recommended practice support the need for educational initiatives to promote rational use of antibiotics in dentistry in Belgium.

Effects of the Committee on Safety of Medicines Advice on Antidepressant Prescribing to Children and Adolescents in the UK

Psychotropic medication prescribing for children and adolescents rose significantly between 2000 and 2002, including antidepressant prescribing. In 2003, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) advised against using venlafaxine or any selective serotonin receptor inhibitor (SSRI), with the exception of fluoxetine, for childhood and adolescent depression. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence and incidence of children and adolescents who were prescribed antidepressants in UK primary care, before and after the CSM advice on antidepressant prescribing. We also compared paediatric antidepressant prescribing trends from Mediplus data with national antidepressant prescribing trends in England from the Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA). The Disease Analyzer-Mediplus database contains anonymised primary care records for about 3 million patients. Eligible patients were aged <or=18 years and received >or=1 antidepressant prescription between 2000 and 2004. Antidepressants were grouped according to the CSM advice and the British National Formulary. Prevalence and incidence were calculated. The prevalences of 2000, 2002 and 2004 were compared using a Chi-squared test. PPA data on antidepressant prescribing rates were compared with paediatric antidepressant prescribing rates from Mediplus. 5,718 children and adolescents received a total of 25,542 prescriptions between 2000 and 2004. The median number of prescriptions per patient was two (interquartile range 1-5). Common indications included depression and anxiety. Antidepressant prevalence increased from 2000 to 2002 (from 5.4 to 6.6 patients per 1,000 people), with a rise in the number of patients prescribed venlafaxine and SSRIs. However, between 2002 and 2004 there was a decrease in antidepressant prevalence (from 6.6 to 5.7 per 1,000). The prevalence of CSM-contraindicated antidepressants (citalopram, escitalopram, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline and venlafaxine) declined by a third (from 3.1 to 2.0 per 1,000), but there was no change in fluoxetine prevalence (from 2.1 to 2.3 per 1,000). The number of patients prescribed tricyclic antidepressants dropped marginally (from 2.0 to 1.7 per 1,000). Incidences followed the same trends as the prevalences, but there was a 48% reduction in the incidence of CSM-contraindicated antidepressants between 2002 and 2004. National antidepressant prescribing trends increased; paediatric prescribing trends were similar to national trends between 2000 and 2003; however, there was a 27% reduction in the paediatric prescribing rate of CSM-contraindicated antidepressants between 2002 and 2004. Since 2003, fewer children and adolescents have been prescribed antidepressants in primary care. However, fluoxetine and non-SSRI antidepressant prevalences have not risen, implying that they are not prescribed as alternative treatments. This study shows that the CSM advice has had a significant effect in reversing the rising prevalence of antidepressant prescribing to children and adolescents in primary care.

Unlicensed and off-label drug use in a paediatric ward of a general hospital in the Netherlands.

Many drugs used in paediatric care are not licensed for that use or are prescribed outside the terms of the product license (off-label). Studies in the UK and Europe showed a large number of unlicensed and off-label drug prescription in specialised paediatric health care centres. We determined the extent and nature of use of unlicensed drugs and off-label prescriptions in children in a general hospital in the Netherlands. We conducted a longitudinal prospective cohort study in a dynamic population consisting of patients admitted to the paediatric ward and the neonatology unit of a general hospital during a 19-week period. Drug-licensing status of all prescriptions given to these patients was determined. A total of 1017 prescriptions was administered to 293 paediatric patients for 114 different drugs. The median number of prescriptions per patient was three (interquartile range 2-5). The most commonly administered drugs were acetaminophen (14%), cefotaxime (8%), amoxicillin (7%), caffeine (4%) and prednisolone (4%). Four hundred and forty-three (44%) prescriptions were off-label, and 285 (28%) were for unlicensed drugs. Ninety-two percent of patients received one or more unlicensed or off-label prescriptions, and this proportion was significantly higher in children below 6 months of age than in older children. This study shows that the extent of unlicensed and off-label drug prescription in a paediatric ward and neonatology unit of a general hospital is large and not smaller than in an academic paediatric setting. Lack of paediatric drug labelling is therefore not solely a problem with drugs used in university hospitals, but also in general hospitals. Efforts must be taken to change the current situation.

Factors affecting prescription of psychotropic drugs in general practice.

During one week in 1985, 227 general practitioners (GPs) in the county of Aarhus, Denmark, recorded all their prescriptions of psychotropic drugs, amounting to 4,180 prescriptions for 3756 patients. There was great variation in the rate of prescribing among the GPs. The median number of prescribed defined daily doses per 1,000 registered patients per day was 84, and the corresponding median number of prescriptions per 1,000 patients per week was 14. There was a significantly lower rate of prescribing of psychotropic drugs by rural/small town GPs, compared with GPs in major cities (odds ratio, 0.84; 99% confidence limits, 0.77-0.91), after correction for differences in patients' age and sex. There were no differences in rate of prescribing among GPs in relation to size and type of practice, nor to the age and sex of the GP.