Objective: Evaluate the feasibility of monitoring the quality of use of medicines in health institutions in countries of the Region of the Americas by means of rational prescription indicators.
Methodology: A quantitative study of the use of medicines was conducted during the period 2016-2018. Rational prescription indicators were developed and selected in accordance with international reference values and the best available evidence for: 1) anti-inflammatory drugs: prescription of ibuprofen and/or naproxen as a percentage of all prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; 2) oral antidiabetics: metformin as a percentage of all prescribed antidiabetics, and metformin and/or sulfonylureas as a percentage of all prescribed antidiabetics; 3) insulins: crystalline insulin and NPH as a percentage of total prescribed insulins; and 4) antihypertensive drugs: angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs-II), and thiazide diuretics as a percentage of all prescribed antihypertensives. The defined daily dose (DDD) per 1 000 inhabitants was used as a measure of consumption per institution.
Results: Prescription of metformin as a percentage of all antidiabetics was lower than the value of the reference indicator (27.9%-67.6% vs. 88%), while the prescription of metformin and/or a sulfonylurea was comparable with that value (80.9%-97.5% vs. 88%). The values of NPH, crystalline, and NPH/crystalline insulin in relation to all prescribed insulins were variable with respect to the reference indicator (37.1%-100% vs. 75%). Prescription of ibuprofen and naproxen was below the value of the indicator (20%-50% vs. 80%). The percentage of ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and thiazides with respect to all antihypertensives ranged from 65.2%-77.2% to 65%, consistent with the value of the proposed indicator.
Conclusions: The feasibility of applying the selected and constructed indicators of rational prescription was demonstrated. These indicators provide useful information for analyzing the quality of prescription in health institutions in countries in the Region and are a useful tool for periodically monitoring it.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2021.152 | DOI Listing |
Daru
January 2025
Health Research Center, Life Style Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Background: The inappropriate use of antibiotics increases the costs of treatment, antibiotic resistance, increased disease length and duration of hospital stay.
Objectives: The aim of this study was investigating the pattern of use and effectiveness of the Linezolid in COVID-19 hospitalized patients.
Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional analytical study was carried out from February 2020 (from the beginning of the pandemic in Iran) to the end of September 2020, 32 COVID-19 patients that used Linezolid were included.
Drug Healthc Patient Saf
December 2024
Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University Medical & Dental College, the University of Faisalabad, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Background: The opioid crisis continues to be a public health concern worldwide due to the high rates of misuse and associated mortality. Opioid dispensing competencies are critical for pharmacy graduates to promote the rational use of opioids.
Purpose: To evaluate the opioids dispensing competencies among the final year Pharm-D students in Punjab, Pakistan.
Mymensingh Med J
January 2025
Dr Halima Begum, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Enam Medical College and Hospital (EMCH), Dhaka, Bangladesh; E-mail:
Now-a-days, all over the world, skin disease are the fourth most common cause of disability. A significant amount of patient attending the dermatology outdoor of any major hospital in a daily basis. Irrational drug prescribing is a common contemplation in clinical practice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Oral Health
December 2024
Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Background: Endodontic emergencies, often presented as acute pain or swelling, constitute a substantial challenge in dental practice. While effective management emphasizes prompt intervention, antibiotics are typically indicated only when systemic signs and symptoms are present. There is limited research exists on evaluating the knowledge and clinical approach of dental practitioners in managing endodontic emergencies from our region of the world.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Family Med Prim Care
November 2024
Department of Community Medicine, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, India.
Background: Prescription auditing is a crucial tool for evaluating a range of concerns, including injectable usage, polypharmacy, the use of generic names, and the quality of treatment given to patients in primary care facilities. The objective of the study was to assess, using WHO core drug use indicators, the drug use patterns of general outpatients (OPD) at a rural healthcare facility.
Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural peripheral health centre in Puducherry for a period of one year from September 2019 to August 2020.
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