Pharmaceutical Care To Patients Research Articles

Providing Oncology Pharmacy Services During the Coronavirus Pandemic: French Society for Oncology Pharmacy (Société Francaise de Pharmacie Oncologique [SFPO]) Guidelines.

Patients with cancer are at higher risk for contracting the COVID-19 infection and are more likely to have higher morbidity and mortality. This is a big challenge for oncology teams that have to treat patients to avoid contamination by SARS-CoV-2. The aim of the current work is to present oncology pharmacy practice guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic to secure the pharmaceutical care of patients with cancer. The bureau of the French Society for Oncology Pharmacy proposed these recommendations according to the French High Authority of Health following the Guidelines of Good Practice, slightly modified according to the pandemic crisis situation. These guidelines were developed by a working group of 7 experts in oncology pharmacy practice. Furthermore, the guidelines were assessed by 31 independent reviewers. One hundred percent of reviewers approved the guidelines and 90% of them suggested some improvements. The final version incorporates the best comments and consists of 26 recommendations organized in 8 different sections. These guidelines allow secure pharmaceutical management of patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analysis of public procurement of medicines for the treatment of patients with epilepsy

Aim. To analyze public procurement of medicines for the treatment of patients with epilepsy using methods of clinical and economic analysis.Materials and methods. For the study, the official data of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine for 2014-2018 concerning public procurement of antiepileptic drugs were used. The total amount of public procurement of medicines for all trade names was determined, and the sums of purchases were grouped by international nonproprietary names. To conduct the analysis of public procurement of antiepileptic drugs, ABC and VEN analyses were performed. Based on the results of the integrated ABC / VEN analysis the volumes of procurement costs were ranked taking into account the requirements of the regulatory framework providing medical and pharmaceutical care for patients with epilepsy.Results. According to the results of the study it was found that during 2014-2018 the average growth rate of public procurement of antiepileptic drugs in UAH equivalent was 136 %, and in dollar equivalent – 110 %. It was determined that in 2018 the volume of expenditures per patient for the purchase of antiepileptic drugs in UAH equivalent increased by 305 % compared to 2014. However, the volume of expenditures in terms of US dollars in 2018 increased only by 22 % compared to 2014. It is due to the fact that in 2014 there were crisis processes at the financial market of Ukraine, which led to an increase in the price of medicines and had a direct impact on the volume of expenses for the purchase of medicines. It has been proven that during 2014-2018 in the volume of public procurement there is a negative trend of prevalence of antiepileptic drugs of foreign manufacture. Thus, the ratio of the volume of costs for the purchase of foreign drugs to domestic ones amounted to 87 % to 13 %, respectively. The analysis of public procurement by the lines of therapy determined that the main share of the expenses belonged to the first-line pharmacotherapy drugs. The ABC analysis showed that the total government spending on the purchase of antiepileptic drugs had uneven dynamics. The results of the VEN analysis indicated that any antiepileptic drugs for INN were not assigned to the category “N”. According to the results of the integrated ABC / VEN analysis it was found that the share of expenses from group A / V in the total amount of the antiepileptic drugs purchased ranged from 70.1 % (2014) to 72.8 % (2018).Conclusions. The results of the study can be used in the development of scientific and applied approaches to the organization of effective financing of pharmaceutical care in Ukraine.

Establishing clinical pharmacist telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DisclaimerIn an effort to expedite the publication of articles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, AJHP is posting these manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time.PurposeAfter community transmission of the novel virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was detected in the State of Washington in February 2020, innovative measures, such as telehealth appointments, were needed to safely continue to provide optimal pharmaceutical care for patients with chronic conditions and cancer.SummaryPrior to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal regulations limited the scope of telehealth pharmacist services. However, enactment of the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, followed by guidance by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Department of Health and Human Services, allowed currently credentialed providers (including pharmacists) to continue to provide patient care services via telehealth with fewer restrictions. Our health system has numerous credentialed pharmacists across multiple ambulatory care clinics. In this article, we highlight our process of expediting the implementation of telehealth services. This process included obtaining authorization for the credentialed pharmacists to provide telehealth services, completion of training modules, implementation of new technology platforms, development of new workflows, and utilization of resources for providers and patients to facilitate successful completion of telehealth visits. We also highlight the consent and documentation components crucially important to the telehealth visit and share some of our successes, as well as identified limitations, in providing pharmacist services via telehealth.ConclusionIn the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic, our institution was able to swiftly implement clinical pharmacist telehealth services for many patients, offering a safe and effective way to continue providing a high level of care. This article discusses our experience with and potential limitations of telehealth to assist other pharmacists seeking to implement and/or expand their telehealth services.

Oncopharmacists: The Game Changers in Cancer Therapy

Cancer is one of the most common cause of morbidity and mortality. Following the diagnosis of the disease, a patient has to undergo complex treatment regimen, which may result in extensive adverse effects. The physical and psychosocial distress experienced by the patients also affects their quality of life. Oncopharmacist can play a crucial role in improving pharmaceutical care for patients undergoing cancer therapy. The day-to-day care provided by the pharmacist will have a positive impact on their quality of life. As they are regarded as the specialists in the field, direct and indirect services provided by them extending from medication administration to drug safety monitoring are valued more. Key words: Oncopharmacists, Cost Minimization, Patient Safety, Cancer, Clinical Pharmacists.

Pharmacy administration and pharmaceutical care practice in a module hospital during the COVID-19 epidemic

ObjectivesTo describe the pharmacy administration and pharmaceutical care in a module hospital during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic and provide reference for domestic and foreign pharmacists participating in the epidemic prevention and control. SettingThe study was performed in a Jianghan module hospital constructed at the Wuhan Convention and Exhibition Center in Wuhan, China. This is 1 of the first 3 module hospitals. Practice descriptionOne thousand eight hundred forty-eight patients were admitted to the Jianghan module hospital, and 1327 cases (71.81% of the total number) were cured and discharged. Pharmacists have successfully completed the tasks of purchase, storage, and free distribution of drugs worth ¥1.03 million (approximately $146,000), reviewed about 20,000 electronic orders, provided one-on-one online medication consultation for 484 patients, and held 5 lectures on rational drug use knowledge, which could help reduce irrational drug use and minimize the risk involved. Practice innovationThe new COVID-19 “module” pharmaceutical care model is equipped with new features such as pharmacy emergency command group, organizational structure for pharmacy administration, electronic control of drug prescription, and “zero contact” pharmaceutical care relying on the new media platform “WeChat.” This platform provides relevant pharmaceutical care for patients, such as ensuring drug supply, setting up critical care drug trolleys, designing specific drug packaging bags, creating a module radio station to broadcast rational drug use information to the patients, and other aspects. EvaluationWith the continuous improvement of the module hospital and the progress in in-depth knowledge about COVID-19, some aspects such as patient admission criteria and variety of drugs need to be adjusted depending on the actual situation. ResultsThe pharmacists provided pharmaceutical care for 1848 patients with mild COVID-19 disease. They not only ensured the timely supply of the drugs but also reduced the incidence of drug-induced risks through medication review and guidance, thereby improving patient compliance and helping the patients rebuild their confidence in overcoming the disease. ConclusionThe new COVID-19 module pharmaceutical care model has played an important role in overcoming the epidemic situation of COVID-19 in China and thus can be implemented on a broader scale.

The Potential Role of the Pharmacist in Supporting Patients with Depression - A Literature-Based Point of View.

ObjectiveThe current article is aimed at identifying the best practice for counseling around depression in community and outpatient pharmacies, resulting in a draft guideline, proposing key steps and an algorithm for integration of community pharmacists into care for patients with depression.MethodsA literature review was performed followed by a detailed analysis, for the purpose of creation a short draft document used as a basis for creation of a guideline for pharmaceutical care for patients with depression. The technological scheme PRISMA flow diagram was applied. The paper is based on current knowledge, taking into consideration already published articles, guidelines, and recommendations about pharmaceutical care for patients with depression, giving a basis for further studies.ResultsThis paper includes two main sections: 1) depression – a short description of the main symptoms, risk factors and pharmacotherapy guidelines available in Bulgaria important for the purposes of ensuring qualitative community-based pharmaceutical care; and 2) the pharmacists’ role in providing high-quality care – the main aspects of pharmaceutical care for patients with depression with specific examples.ConclusionThe involvement of pharmacists in supporting depressive patients is crucial taking into account the specific characteristics of the pharmacological treatment: delayed onset of clinical results, risks in case of sudden pharmacotherapy abruption without physician consultation, multiple adverse drug reactions and drug–drug, drug–food and drug–alcohol interactions, etc. The current article could also be used as an initial document for creating a methodological guideline for providing pharmaceutical care services for patients with depression.

Rational use of drug and pharmaceutical care in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 combined with stroke

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients are particularly critically ill, often accompanied by D-djurogen elevation, easy to induce or aggravate the occurrence of ischemic stroke. Both diseases have similar symptoms such as headache, vomiting, fever and shortness of breath in the early stages of their medical history, which can easily lead to misdiagnosis, missed diagnosis, and mutual influence, resulting in prolonged course of illness. For patients with COVID-19, anti-venom treatment should be actively taken as soon as possible, combined with stroke patients, the indicator change of D-diamer should be closely monitored, according to its indicators to give patients appropriate anti-thrombosis treatment, once the D-diamer rises, it is recommended to start anticoagulant immediately, while controlling the patient's blood pressure lipids and other high-risk factors. In this paper, combined with the research on stroke-related drug use, this paper discusses the rational drug use strategy and pharmacological care of high-risk groups such as COVID-19 combined with stroke, and provides reasonable drug use reference for such patients.

Development of Key Performance Indicators for Capturing Impact of Pharmaceutical Care in Palestinian Integrative Healthcare Facilities: A Delphi Consensus Study

Background The current study was performed to develop a consensus-based core inventory of key performance indicators (KPIs) to be used in capturing the impact of pharmaceutical care in healthcare facilities that employ integrative medicine paradigm in Palestine. Methods A panel of healthcare professionals and risk/quality assurance managers was composed employing a judgmental sampling technique. The study tool was a questionnaire. Views and opinions of the panelists on the roles of pharmacists in caring for patients admitted to or visiting healthcare facilities that employ integrative medicine were collected using 11 statements. An initial inventory of activities and services that potentially can be used as KPIs was compiled from the literature and interviews with key contact experts in the domain. Three iterative Delphi rounds were conducted among the panelists (n = 50) to achieve formal consensus on the KPIs that should be used. The consensus-based KPIs were ordered by the scores of the panelists. Results A total of 8 consensus-based KPIs were developed. The KPIs related to the number of problems related to medications and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) that were resolved by pharmacists and CAM practitioners (p < 0.0001), number of patients for whom reconciliations were documented (p < 0.0001), number of patients receiving direct, comprehensive, and/or collaborative care (p < 0.0001), and number of patients for whom pharmacists and CAM practitioners were involved in implementing a therapeutic plan (p < 0.05) were rated significantly higher than the KPI (#8) related to the participation in multi-healthcare provider discussions/deliberations. Conclusions Consensus-based KPIs that can be used in capturing the impact of evidence-based CAM and pharmaceutical care of patients in healthcare facilities that employ integrative medicine paradigm were developed. Future studies are still needed to investigate if implementing these KPIs might promote evidence-based CAM and pharmaceutical care in healthcare facilities that employ the integrative medicine paradigm.

Pharmaceutical care for patients with diabetes: storage of insulin

According to statistics, 1.2 million Ukrainians suffer from diabetes, and 201626 people being registered and requiring insulin (PI). In Ukraine, a system of reimbursement is introduced, which provides for the dispatch of PI from pharmacies. Thus, in the process of providing patients with diabetes with insulin, pharmacies play a significant role and, accordingly, provide them with pharmaceutical assistance. Insulin is used to treat both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Successful treatment requires confidence that the insulin will work properly. Improper storage can lead to a decrease in insulin activity, which will affect its ability to effectively and predictably control the patient's blood sugar. It is important to provide the patient with correct recommendations for storing insulin when dispensed from the pharmacy.&#x0D; The purpose of the work was to develop practical recommendations for pharmacy workers and patients with diabetes mellitus regarding the storage of PI.&#x0D; The objects of study were electronic and paper sources of information, Instructions for the use of PI. Content analysis and methods of bibliosemantic, marketing, generalization analyzes were applied.&#x0D; Marketing research of PIs whose names are subject to reimbursement on dispensing from pharmacies showed that the number of trade names is 33 names, and taking into account the dosage form – 71. In the bottles are represented 39.4% of drugs, in cartridges – 33.8% and in pre-filled syringes pens – 26.8%. PIs are supplied to the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market by domestic manufacturers, foreign companies and joint ventures. In this case, PIs in bottles are manufactured mainly by domestic manufacturers (16 preparations), cartridge forms – mainly by foreign companies (14 preparations), and pre-filled syringe pens – only by foreign companies (19 preparations). The joint ventures produce only 7 items in vials and cartridges.&#x0D; On the basis of the analysis of documents from different countries, the latest scientific researches and instructions for the use of PI, detailed recommendations have been developed, both for pharmacy workers and for patients with diabetes mellitus, for insulin storage. Attention is drawn to the high risk of exposure to temperature during storage and to the prevention of these risks. The recommendations are developed from the point of view of practical application. Separately formulated tips for storing insulin while traveling. The guidelines are designed to provide pharmaceutical assistance to patients with diabetes at an appropriate level with the release of PI. The issue of proper storage of PIs should be included in the undergraduate and postgraduate training of physicians, nurses, pharmacists and pharmacists. Government agencies should promote a coherent approach to the delivery of medical and pharmaceutical care through the development of national recommendations.

Conceptual foundations of pharmacoeconomic analysis of prevention technologies of chronic viral infections

The introduction of various technologies for the prevention of chronic viral infections into practice requires well-founded evidence of their effectiveness, which can be obtained using pharmacoeconomic methods and models that determine not only the effectiveness and feasibility of introducing preventive technologies, but also the socio-economic associated consequences. In this context, the development of a unified model for the pharmacoeconomic evaluation of medical technologies at all stages of the prevention of chronic viral infections is key to implementing optimal strategies for combating them for both individual groups and the entire population, developing recommendations for the rational use of diagnostic tests and viral vaccines, and determining the optimal level of pharmaceutical care for patients.&#x0D; The aim of the work – development of a conceptual model of pharmacoeconomic analysis of technologies for the prevention of chronic viral infections.&#x0D; Pharmacoeconomic evaluation of technologies for the prevention of chronic viral infections is possible on the basis of an analytical platform that determines the relationship between the target population to be prevented, and the effectiveness of intermediate and final results. The pharmacoeconomic analysis of technologies for the prevention of socially significant chronic viral infections was proposed to be carried out according to the developed algorithm.&#x0D; Implementation of the proposed algorithm for pharmacoeconomic analysis of various technologies for the prevention of chronic viral infections was based on developed unified model of the spread of viral infection in the population, where individuals can be assigned to different clinical and epidemiological classes. This model was a combination of epidemiological and clinical prognostic approaches and can be used to predict and conduct pharmacoeconomic assessment of viral infection prevention technologies with a general decrease in the number of people in a particular epidemiological class when applying medical technology for a certain period of time. The presented concept allows to formulate the principles of pharmacoeconomic evaluation of technologies for the prevention of chronic viral infections. It was advisable to use the concept of quality of life in assessing the usefulness of the technologies under study, which allows to formalize the cost-utility coefficient, minimization of which determines pharmacoeconomic reasonable strategies for the prevention of chronic viral infections.&#x0D; The developed concept is promising, and information technologies based on it can become a reliable source of information to support decision-making by health experts in the pharmacoeconomic evaluation of technologies for the prevention of chronic viral infections.

Creating an Interprofessional guideline to support patients receiving oral anticoagulation therapy: a Delphi exercise

Background Oral anticoagulation therapy has proven beneficial impact on the prevention of thromboembolic events. However, the use of antocoagulatns also increases the risk of bleeds. To maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of the treatment, guidance on appropriate use of oral anticoagulants is essential. An international guideline describing relevant components and requirements for pharmaceutical care for patients receiving a therapy woth oral antocoagulants would increase the quality of care. However, recommendations on pharmaceutical care for patients on anticoagulation is lacking. Objective This study aims to develop an interprofessional guideline to support patients in their use of oral anticoagulation therapy. Method Two systematic literature searches were performed on existing guidelines on the management and interventions to improve-oral anticoagulant use, to generate possible recommendations. Subsequently, an international expert panel with 26 pharmacists with extensive experience in clinical and/or scientific work on anticoagulation from a total of 22 European and 4 non-European countries was constituted. With this (geographically well distributed) expert panel, a four-round internet-based Delphi technique was conducted to reach consensus on their relevance. Items were ranked on a 1–10 scale of agreement. A median agreement score of ≥ 7.5 was considered the threshold for consensus. Levels of importance were rated on a 1–3 scale. Setting A global network of 26 pharmacists specialized in oral antocoagulation therapy. Main outcome measure Development of inter-professional guideline. Results After the four Delphi rounds 18 guideline recommendations were formulated. Consensus of opinion was achieved for all recommendations (median agreement: 8.5–10.0), whereas mean levels of importance were between 1.1 and 2.0 (SD: 0.2–0.7). The following domains were rated as most important targets for improving the care around oral anticoagulation: ‘INR-monitoring’, ‘Transfer of care between health care settings’, ‘Adherence to medication’, ‘Patient communication and engagement’, and ‘Medication reconciliation and medication review’. Conclusion The 18 recommendations included in this guideline provide the base for optimization of anticoagulation care across different countries/healthcare systems. Future work involves translating the guideline recommendations into clinical practice. Once implemented, the recommendations of the guideline will support health care providers with the pharmaceutical care for patients on, oral anticoagulation which will improve the effective and safe use of these medicines.

Opieka farmaceutyczna nad pacjentem onkologicznym

Opieka farmaceutyczna nad pacjentem onkologicznym

Pharmaceutical care for patients and their caregivers in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders: a review and new perspectives

Many arguments support the development of pharmaceutical care in patients with neurocognitive disorders and their caregivers: polypharmacy, drug-related cognitive decline, poor drug adherence, increased use of psychotropic drugs and potentially inappropriate medications. The aim of this narrative review was to identify the pharmacist's roles in caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders and their caregivers. Seventeen publications were selected after literature research. The various interventions conducted by pharmacists were as follows: achievement of a medication review that could be focused on the reduction of the anticholinergic burden or the number of psychotropic drugs, therapeutic education of the patient and his caregiver concerning the treatment management, personalized pharmaceutical follow-up, screening and orientation of patients with a cognitive impairment or caregivers with signs of fragility (burden, anxiety or depressive symptoms). The majority of studies targeted the patient care. Other interventional studies will be necessary to evaluate the impact of a pharmaceutical care for the dyad, including the caregiver, on the improvement of drug management but also on clinical outcomes, including the cognitive function, the autonomy, the use of the health care system, the quality of life and the self-efficacy.

Detection and Management of Common Medication Errors in Internal Medicine Wards: Impact on Medication Costs and Patient Care.

Purpose: Medication errors (MEs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, yet they have remained as confusing and underappreciated concept. The complex pharmacotherapy in hospitalized patients necessitates continued report and surveillance of MEs as well as persistent pharmaceutical care. This study evaluated the frequency, types, clinical significance, and costs of MEs in internal medicine wards. Methods: In this 8-month prospective and cross-sectional study, an attending clinical pharmacist visited the patients during each physician’s ward round at the morning. All MEs including prescription, transcription, and administration errors were detected, recorded, and subsequently appropriate corrective interventions were proposed during these rounds. The changes in the medications’ cost after implementing clinical pharmacist’s interventions were compared to the calculated medications’ cost, assuming that the MEs would not have been detected by clinical pharmacist and continued up to discharge time of the patients. Results: 89% of the patients experienced at least one ME during their hospitalization. A mean of 2.6 errors per patient or 0.2 errors per ordered medication occurred in this study. More than 70% of MEs happened at the prescription stage by treating physicians. The most prevalent prescription errors were inappropriate drug selection, unauthorized drugs and untreated indication. The highest MEs occurred on cardiovascular agents followed by antibiotics, and vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. The net effect of clinical pharmacist’s contributions in medication therapy management was to decline medications’ costs by 33.9%. Conclusion: The role of clinical pharmacy services in detection, prevention and reducing the cost of MEs is of paramount importance to internal medicine wards.

Изучение факторов, влияющих на фармацевтическое консультирование в аптеках Вьетнама

A better understanding of pharmacists' viewpoints on pharmaceutical consultation can significantly contribute to improving the quality of pharmaceutical care for patients. The aim of the study was to explore factors influencing patient counseling in pharmacies in Vietnam. Pharmacists working at pharmacies in the four largest cities in Vietnam were randomly selected to participate in this study. The results of the study show that pharmacy staff spend most of their working time on patient consultation. Consultation length is usually from 5 to 10 minutes. Domestic medicines (64,5%), and generic medicines (45,0%) are preferred by pharmacists to choose for patient. Lack of time (43,6%), and knowledge (31,3%) are main barriers to the implementation of high-quality pharmaceutical consultation for patients. The findings of the present study provide an opportunity to improve the quality of pharmaceutical counseling in pharmacies in Vietnam.

Pharmaceutical care of patients with cancer treated on non-cancer wards in the UK: a mixed methods study

ObjectiveThe objectives of this study were to identify and describe specialist cancer pharmacist support for the pharmaceutical care of patients with cancer treated on non-cancer wards. The study also explored...

Pharmaceutical care for patients with postoperative history

Surgical wounds are the most commonly treated wounds in today's global medical practice. Often, patients are not aware of exactly how they should treat their post-surgical wounds at home. A model for pharmaceutical care of patients with postoperative wounds was developed on the basis of literary sources and guidelines. The Life Value (LV) of the patients was evaluated using the generic SF12 v2 instrument. SF12 v2 was administered to consulted patients and not consulted patients in a control group. The results showed an improvement in all measured LV scores within the group of the consulted patients. Pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare professionals and with their knowledge and competencies, they can contribute to the process.

PHARMACY HEALTH SYSTEM IN CANADA: AN ADOPTABLE MODEL FOR ADVANCED CLINICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL CARE

The philosophy of patient care is a wide and complicated topic of literature. That is elaborated by different health institution to harmonize their local clinical activities. Undoubtedly, that is working successfully to satisfy patients, fulfill the requirement of clinicians and cover maximum mutual benefits within officially allocated budget. However, patient care has different comprehension in different demographic and socio-political setting. But, in general, the meaning, understanding and composition of clinical and pharmaceutical patient care may be same all over world. The pharmacists, clinicians and administration adopt, exercise and emphasize on certain parts depending upon the type of challenges, kind of patients and available health care facilities. Thus, the health care is an emerging field that always remained under consideration. The local and international experts like to work, contribute and improve it to enhance the public health. Even some time judiciary, parliament and local intelligentsia focus and emphasize to address some particular health related problems. So, we may need to elaborate the comprehension to satisfy the literature and logical need of health and medicine including identification of problems, designing treatment protocol and handling the complication of therapy. That may potentially improve the overall outcomes and maximize the patient’s benefit. After twenty five years the definition of pharmaceutical care is still unsatisfactory. The confusion remained about what this term comprises and how to distinguish it from other terms. The board of the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) felt essential to rephrase pharmaceutical care and to answer the question: "What is Pharmaceutical Care ". The patient care is not perfectly incorporated into the health care system in most part of the world. However, pharmacy practice has shown positive attitudes toward patient care provision. Thus, an advanced working should focus to improve the understanding the concept of patient care and overcome barriers.

The assessment of pharmaceutical care of patients with cardiovascular diseases by the results of frequency analysis of drug prescribing

The assessment of pharmaceutical care of patients with cardiovascular diseases by the results of frequency analysis of drug prescribing

Analysis of pharmaceutical care in patients with psoriatic arthritis using statutory health insurance data.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory joint disease. Despite numerous health care research studies, there is hardly any data regarding the current state of pharmaceutical care of PsA patients in Germany. Based on a systematic literature search and routine administrative data from the Rhineland/Hamburg (statutory) health insurance fund ("Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse", AOK), the present study provides an up-to-date overview of pharmaceutical care of German PsA patients. Selected were those in- and outpatients who - in the first or second quarter of 2014 - had been coded as having the diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis (L40.5+) according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10-GM version 2015). On the basis of this "predefined cohort", drug prescription data was subsequently analyzed for a five-year period (January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2014). Overall, 3,205 AOK-insured individuals (45% male, 55% female) were diagnosed with PsA. Mean age was 58.9 years; 53.7 % of PsA patients received systemic treatment. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were the most frequently prescribed agents, followed by corticosteroids. Among patients on systemic treatment, 72.1% were treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs); 20.9% with a combination of DMARDs and biologics. Not only does pharmacological treatment of PsA have to ensure adequate patient care aimed at preventing disease progression, it also has to be approached with economic responsibility.