Correction: Meropenem Use in Pediatric Oncology – Audit on Indication, Appropriateness and Consumption Comparing Patient Derived and Pharmacy Dispensing Data

ABSTRACT Background Meropenem is an important second- or third-line antibiotic in pediatric cancer patients with febrile neutropenia (FN). Concise utilization data of meropenem in this setting is limited. It remains unclear how drug dispensing data from the hospital pharmacy correlate with data derived from patients’ files. Methods Retrospective audit of meropenem-consumption in a University-affiliated pediatric oncology center in days of therapy (DOT)/100 inpatient days. The individual indication for meropenem was critically reviewed. The real consumption (in g/100 inpatient days) was compared with the drug amounts dispensed by the hospital pharmacy (in gram and in defined daily doses (DDD)/100 inpatient days). All patients receiving at least one dose of meropenem from 1st of April 2016 until the 30th of June 2018 were included. Result Of 235 consecutive patients, 45 (19%) received meropenem, comprising 57 FN events. The probability of receiving at least one dose of meropenem was significantly higher in patients with ALL, AML, NHL and certain CNS tumors. Preceding the use of meropenem, only 5% of patients were known to be colonized with multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. Meropenem was administered as first-line treatment in 26% of all meropenem cycles, in 74% of all FN events with meropenem, Piperacillin-Tazobactam was used for initial treatment. In 5 of 57 FN events (8.8%), initial blood cultures yielded a Gram-negative pathogen. Concerning definite treatment, appropriate alternatives to meropenem with a smaller spectrum of activity would have been available in 4 cases, but a de-escalation was not performed. The median length of therapy in the meropenem group was 6 days, the corresponding median for days of therapy (DOT) was 12 days. This corresponds with combination therapy in 56% of all meropenem treatments, mostly with teicoplanin. On average, drug dispensing data from the hospital pharmacy were 1.53 times higher than real use (relying on patients’ data) without a significant correlation. A higher Case-mix Index positively correlated with meropenem-consumption. Conclusion The use of meropenem should become a target of antibiotic stewardship programs in order to restrict its use to certain indications and preserve its outstanding role as second- or third-line antibiotic in this vulnerable population. Irrespective of the metrics used (g or DDD/100 inpatient days), pharmacy dispensing data do not accurately depict real patient-derived data concerning meropenem use in pediatric cancer patients.

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Countrywide prevalence of critical drug interactions in Hungarian outpatients: a retrospective analysis of pharmacy dispensing data

BMC Pharmacology and Toxicology ◽

10.1186/s40360-019-0311-0 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anna Somogyi-Végh ◽

Zsófia Ludányi ◽

Ábel Erdős ◽

Lajos Botz

Keyword(s):

Drug Interactions ◽

Retrospective Analysis ◽

Pharmacy Dispensing Data ◽

Dispensing Data

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Associations Between Personality Traits and Adherence to Antidepressants Assessed Through Self-Report, Electronic Monitoring, and Pharmacy Dispensing Data

Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology ◽

10.1097/jcp.0000000000000541 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 36 (5) ◽

pp. 465-471 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hans Wouters ◽

Darya F.H. Amin ◽

Katja Taxis ◽

Eibert R. Heerdink ◽

Antoine C.G. Egberts ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Personality Traits ◽

Electronic Monitoring ◽

Self Report ◽

Pharmacy Dispensing Data ◽

Dispensing Data

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Using pharmacy dispensing data to predict falls in older individuals

British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology ◽

10.1111/bcp.14506 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Marle Gemmeke ◽

Ellen S. Koster ◽

Romin Pajouheshnia ◽

Martine Kruijtbosch ◽

Katja Taxis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Individuals ◽

Pharmacy Dispensing Data ◽

Dispensing Data

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Overuse of methylphenidate: an analysis of Swedish pharmacy dispensing data

Clinical Epidemiology ◽

10.2147/clep.s178638 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol Volume 10 ◽

pp. 1657-1665 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Pernilla J Bjerkeli ◽

Raquel Perez Vicente ◽

Shai Mulinari ◽

Kristina Johnell ◽

Juan Merlo

Keyword(s):

Swedish Pharmacy ◽

Pharmacy Dispensing Data ◽

Dispensing Data

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Essential Medications for Patients With Suspected or Confirmed Ebola Virus Disease in Resource-Limited Environments

Military Medicine ◽

10.7205/milmed-d-17-00010 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 182 (9-10) ◽

pp. e2006-e2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

William F. Pierce ◽

Selena D. Ready ◽

John Tyson Chapman ◽

Corrinne Kulick ◽

Anastasia Shields ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Ebola Virus Disease ◽

World Health ◽

Clinical Environment ◽

Treatment Unit ◽

Resource Limited ◽

Pharmacy Dispensing Data ◽

Dispensing Data ◽

The U.S

ABSTRACT Background: In 2014, the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps deployed to Monrovia, Liberia, to operate a 25-bed Ebola treatment unit (ETU) constructed by the U.S. Military. The ETU was named the Monrovia Medical Unit (MMU) and was constructed from an U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS) unit with modifications on the basis of consultation from Médecins Sans Frontières, the World Health Organization, and expert panels from the U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Health and Human Services. From November 12, 2014, to April 30, 2015, 42 patients (18 confirmed Ebola virus disease [EVD] and 24 suspected EVD) from nine countries were treated by USPHS providers at the MMU. The medications used in the MMU were primarily procured from the EMEDS 25-bed pharmacy cache. However, specific formulary additions were made for treatment of EVD. Methods: Using the MMU pharmacy dispensing data, we compared and contrasted the medications used in the MMU with recommendations in published EVD treatment guidelines for austere settings. Findings: After comparing and contrasting the MMU pharmacy dispensing data with publications with EVD medication recommendations applicable to resource-limited settings, 101 medications were included in the USPHS Essential Medications for the Management of EVD List (EML) for an austere, isolated clinical environment. Discussion/impact/recommendations: Because Ebola outbreaks often occur in remote areas, proactive planning, improved preparedness, and optimal patient care for EVD are needed, especially in the context of austere environments with a scarcity of resources. We developed the EML to assist in the planning for future Ebola outbreaks in a remote clinical environment and to provide a list of medications that have been used in an ETU. The EML is a comprehensive medication list that builds on the existing publications with EVD treatment recommendations applicable to supply-constrained clinical environments. As well, it is a resource for the provision of medications when evaluating donations, procurement, and may help inform estimates for product inventory requirements for an ETU. We hope the EML will improve readiness and enhance the capabilities of local and regional international responders.

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Does uncollected medication reduce the validity of pharmacy dispensing data?

Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety ◽

10.1002/pds.928 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 497-500 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Hilde Tobi ◽

Nico-Jan N van den Heuvel ◽

Lolkje TW de Jong-van den Berg

Keyword(s):

Pharmacy Dispensing Data ◽

Dispensing Data

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Linking pharmacy dispensing data to other administrative health datasets to measure the compliance and effectiveness of RSV immunoprophylaxis

International Journal for Population Data Science ◽

10.23889/ijpds.v3i4.620 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Hannah Moore ◽

Tobias Strunk ◽

Tasnim Abdalla ◽

Tom Snelling ◽

Peter Richmond ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neonatal Intensive Care ◽

Preventive Measure ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care Units ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Level 3 ◽

Syncytial Virus ◽

Hospital Morbidity ◽

Considerable Morbidity ◽

Pharmacy Dispensing Data ◽

Dispensing Data

IntroductionRespiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) causes considerable morbidity in children. RSV vaccines are in development, but the only current preventive measure is immunoprophylaxis with monoclonal antibody, palivizumab. Australia has no uniform palivizumab guidelines. In Western Australia palivizumab is licensed for use in high risk children but compliance and effectiveness is unknown. Objectives and ApproachWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using palivizumab data from multiple pharmacy dispensing datasets which had been linked with routine laboratory, hospital morbidity, emergency department presentations, deaths and perinatal data for a cohort of infants admitted to Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) between 2002 and 2013. We identified palivizumab eligible infants as those who were extremely premature (<28 weeks gestation) with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and/or who identified as Indigenous and were NICU inpatients during the annual winter RSV season (May-October). We describe the use of palivizumab in infants that did and did not fit the eligibility criteria. ResultsThe NICU cohort included 24,367 infants, of which 1754 had at least 1 RSV-confirmed infection before age 5 years. A total of 686 (2.8%) cohort infants were eligible for palivizumab. Palivizumab dispensing data were amalgamated from 5 pharmacy datasets. Overall, 173 of the palivizumab eligible infants (25.2%) had at least 1 palivizumab dose (27% 1 dose, 34% 2 doses, 28% 3 doses and 11% 4 or more doses). From 2011 when palivizumab guidelines were formalised, 143 (75%) had at least 1 dose. Compliance with at least 1 palivizumab dose was highest in 2011 (84.9%). From 2002-2013, 98 infants were given palivizumab outside eligibility criteria (33% 1 dose, 33% 2 doses, 34% 3 or more doses) with annual use increasing since 2008. Conclusion/ImplicationsThis is the first time pharmacy dispensing data have been linked to other datasets to measure use and effectiveness. Compliance with palivizumab guidelines was high from 2011. These data will be used to measure the effectiveness of palivizumab against RSV-confirmed infections and respiratory infection-related hospitalisations up to age 5 years.

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Melatonin Increasingly Used in Hospitalized Patients

Journal of Hospital Medicine ◽

10.12788/jhm.3408 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (6) ◽

pp. 349-351

Author(s):

Thomas E MacMillan ◽

Philip Lui ◽

Robert C Wu ◽

RodrigoB Cavalcanti

Keyword(s):

Internal Medicine ◽

Critical Care ◽

Observational Study ◽

Temporal Trends ◽

Medication Use ◽

Hospitalized Patients ◽

Sleep Medication ◽

Urban Hospitals ◽

Pharmacy Dispensing Data ◽

Dispensing Data

The frequency of melatonin use for insomnia in hospitalized patients is unknown. This study assessed temporal trends of melatonin use in the hospital and compared them with those of use of zopiclone and lorazepam. We performed a retrospective observational study over 6 years from January 2013 to December 2018 at two academic urban hospitals in Toronto, Canada. We abstracted pharmacy dispensing data and standardized rates of medication use by inpatient days. Melatonin use increased from almost none to more than 70 doses per 1,000 inpatient days during 2013-2018, while zopiclone use decreased by 20 doses per 1,000 inpatient days. Melatonin use was twice as high at one hospital and was higher on internal medicine and critical care. Overall use of the three medications increased by 25.7%, which mainly reflects a marked increase in melatonin use. Melatonin is likely being used in a proportion of patients who would not otherwise have received a sleep medication.

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