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PubMed2004

A smart-card-enabled privacy preserving E-prescription system.

Within the overall context of protection of health care information, privacy of prescription data needs special treatment. First, the involvement of diverse parties, especially nonmedical parties in the process of drug prescription complicates the protection of prescription data. Second, both patients and doctors have privacy stakes in prescription, and their privacy should be equally protected. Third, the following facts determine that prescription should not be processed in a truly anonymous manner: certain involved parties conduct useful research on the basis of aggregation of prescription data that are linkable with respect to either the patients or the doctors; prescription data has to be identifiable in some extreme circumstances, e.g., under the court order for inspection and assign liability. In this paper, we propose an e-prescription system to address issues pertaining to the privacy protection in the process of drug prescription. In our system, patients' smart cards play an important role. For one thing, the smart cards are implemented to be portable repositories carrying up-to-date personal medical records and insurance information, providing doctors instant data access crucial to the process of diagnosis and prescription. For the other, with the secret signing key being stored inside, the smart card enables the patient to sign electronically the prescription pad, declaring his acceptance of the prescription. To make the system more realistic, we identify the needs for a patient to delegate his signing capability to other people so as to protect the privacy of information housed on his card. A strong proxy signature scheme achieving technologically mutual agreements on the delegation is proposed to implement the delegation functionality.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1991

An evaluation of the information given on veterinary prescriptions in Norway. Compliance with the legal regulations.

Compliance with Norwegian legal regulations for veterinary prescriptions was investigated and evaluated. The study was designed as a cross-sectional prescription survey, and the prescriptions were recorded in Dbase III. Of the 6505 written and telephone prescriptions collected only about one in five fulfilled the legal requirements, namely, giving information about the animal species the drug was intended for, indication for the prescribed drug and directions for use. On average 86% contained information about the animal species, while 26% and 80%, respectively, contained formation about the indication for the prescribed drug and directions for use. The number of prescriptions on which indication and directions for use were given, was significantly higher for written prescriptions than for telephone prescriptions, and for prescriptions of human preparations compared with prescriptions of veterinary preparations. For pets, the number of prescriptions containing directions for use was significantly higher than for production animals. The proportion of prescriptions for pets giving a statement of the indication was not significantly different from prescriptions for production animals.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Analysis of medical prescriptions dispensed at health centers in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

This article focuses on medical prescriptions dispensed at health centers under the Municipal Health Department in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The study analyzed 4,607 prescriptions from March to April 1999, grouped according to origin (internal or external). The analysis focused on information written on medical prescriptions. The main findings were: (a) an average of 2.4 drugs per prescription in both groups; (b) prescriptions filled out with 4 or more drugs accounted for 18.0% of internal and 17.6% of external prescriptions; (c) 84.3% of internal and 85.5% of external prescriptions provided no instructions for use of medication; (d) information on dosage regimen varied from 51.2% to 97.6% for internal and 57.9% to 96.5% for external prescriptions; (e) generic names were specified for 51.9% and 28.4% of all drugs on internal and external prescriptions, respectively; (f) prescriptions containing standard drugs from the Municipal Health Department accounted for 88.7% of internal and 76.4% of external prescriptions. Data analysis shows the need for continuing education of physicians and adoption of other methods to improve quality of prescriptions and promote rational use of drugs.

Brazil↗
PubMed2002

Quality of prescription at a tertiary care pharmacy in Addis Ababa.

The practice of prescribing is one of the critical factors that ensure safety and rational use of drugs. The objective of this study was to describe the quality of prescription in terms of format, legibility and content. The study was carried out in Tikur Anbessa Hospital outpatient pharmacy. All prescriptions that came to the hospital pharmacy over one week period were collected and analyzed. A total of 2191 prescriptions were received by the hospital pharmacy. Only few of the prescriptions had complete information. In about 50% of the prescriptions sex and age were not recorded. On average 15% of the prescriptions were not eligible. Only 13% of the prescriptions received during weekdays, and 8.5% of those received during weekends were scored as good (more than 5 variables out of 8 assessed were rated good). There was no significant difference in the quality between the prescriptions received from Tikur Anbessa hospital and other health institutions. Furthermore, weekday prescriptions were better in quality as compared to weekend prescriptions without considerable difference between day and night shifts. These findings indicate that considerable proportion of prescriptions are not properly written. Since Tikur Anbessa is a teaching center, immediate action needs to be taken to improve the practice of prescription writing.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗
PubMed2003

[The impact of fusafungine on the prescription of antibiotics in the treatment of rhinopharyngitis].

OBJECTIVE: The analysis in France, during the period 01/12/99 to 30/11/2000, of the prescription of systemic antibiotics in patients with rhinopharyngitis and of the variables statistically related to such prescriptions and the potential role of fusafungine in the form of a rhinopharyngeal spray. METHODS: A retrospective study, based on a panel of 1,010 general practitioners, in a cohort of 30,568 patients presenting with rhinopharyngitis. The fusafungine group consisted of 16,076 patients who had rhinopharyngitis and in whom fusafungine was prescribed. The control group consisted of 14,492 patients with rhinopharyngitis without prescription of fusafungine. The overall rate of antibiotic prescription was documented. A stepwise statistical analysis was conducted to specify the variables statistically associated with the prescription of a systemic antibiotic. The rate of prescription of a systemic antibiotic and the cost of the treatment were also compared within both groups. RESULTS: The overall rate of systemic antibiotic prescription was 52.9%, falling from 60.4% in the group without fusafungine down to 46.2% in the group with fusafungine (p<0.01) whichever the systemic antibiotic prescribed. The stepwise analysis documented various variables that appear to be related to the systemic antibiotic prescription. A saving of 0.7 euros per prescription was noted in the fusafungine group. CONCLUSION: Although various variables appear to influence systemic antibiotic prescription in patients with rhinopharyngitis, our study shows that prescription of fusafungine in spray from led to statistically significant reduction in systemic antibiotic prescription.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[Pharmaceutical expenditure in primary care according to the prescription source].

OBJECTIVE: To find the origin of primary care pharmaceutical prescription and where expenditure is attributed. DESIGN: A descriptive study of a prospective character. SETTING: Medical clinics of a primary care team at the Torre del Mar Health Centre, Málaga. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 2,580 prescriptions, whose average price was 1,415.4 pesetas, with a range from 135 to 35,889 pesetas, were issued. An average of 143.3 prescriptions a day were issued during the days analysed. The number of prescriptions issued by PC itself made up more than half the prescriptions, similar to the number of prescriptions originating elsewhere. The average price is greater for outside prescriptions than for prescriptions from within PC. Total accumulated cost was 3,651,912 pesetas. Expenditure on outside prescriptions was 1,774,783 pesetas, 48.59% of total cost. Total cost of prescriptions from within PC was 1,733,701 pesetas, 47.47% of the total. CONCLUSIONS: PC has been assigned the role of issuing most prescriptions in the health-care system. This causes various problems within PHC: 1) a major administrative overload; 2) a great imaginative effort to try to avoid bureaucratic burdens; and 3) a real ability to rationalise the offer of medicines using quality criteria of only about 50%, as the other 50% of medicines originates outside PHC. We believe an extension of the programmes to guarantee quality in specialist care is needed, particularly of those programmes relating to pharmaceutical prescription.

Community Health Centers↗
PubMed2002

Exploring prescription drug coverage and drug use for older americans.

OBJECTIVE: To describe existing prescription drug insurance coverage for older Americans, to describe out-of-pocket payment levels per prescription associated with service benefit prescription drug plans used by older persons, and to examine the association of prescription drug coverage types with the reported use of prescription drugs by older persons. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were obtained from a national survey of 1570 community-dwelling older persons (>65 y) conducted in June 1998. A 2-part utilization model was estimated using logistic regression and ordinary least-squares regression. RESULTS: Data from 310 respondents were used for analysis. Overall, 66.1% of respondents reported having prescription drug insurance coverage. A majority (76.6%) of respondents having private drug coverage reported having a service benefit plan (requiring copayment or coinsurance amount to be paid for each prescription). The median copayment per brand name and generic prescription for persons reporting having coverage by service benefit plans was $10 and $5, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, a majority of older persons reported paying relatively small amounts out-of-pocket per prescription during 1998. Among persons who reported having drug insurance coverage, there were no statistically significant differences in the reported number of drugs used daily, regardless of out-of-pocket payment amount per prescription. Patient need and level of past drug use were significantly associated with both the likelihood of using any prescription drugs and the level of use among users. More research is needed to examine differences in drug expenditures and characteristics of drugs used across prescription drug insurance types for older persons.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of an increase in prescription copayment on utilization of low-sedating antihistamines and nasal steroids.

BACKGROUND: Health plans are using 3-tier copayment designs and other methods to control utilization that shifts drug costs to plan members. There is a need to determine the effects of increased member cost sharing on drug utilization and drug costs. OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a 10 US dollars increase in prescription copayment in a public employer health plan for 2 classes of drugs used for allergic rhinitis. METHODS: Changes in the number of prescriptions dispensed for 2 therapeutic classes.low-sedating antihistamines (LSAs) and nasal steroids (NSs).were examined 1 year prior to and 1 year after copayment increase. Relative price effects were measured as arc price elasticity, the ratio of the percent change in prescription utilization over the percent change in price, an indicator of how responsive patients are to the copayment increase. RESULTS: Of 8,643 continuously enrolled health plan beneficiaries, 2,150 patients (24.8%) received at least 1 NS or LSA during the 2-year period of the study, from January 1, 1998, through December 31, 1999. An average 10 US dollars increase in copayment per prescription was associated with no statistically significant change in utilization of combined LSA and NS prescriptions, 2.89 per patient in 1998 and 2.94 in 1999 (P = 0.597). Health plan costs for study drugs, unadjusted for inflation, decreased by 16.3% from 86.86 US dollars per patient in 1998 to 72.68 US dollars in 1999 (P = 0.004). Health plan costs per patient per month (PPPM) for all drugs for the 2,150 allergic rhinitis patients decreased by 13% from 41.33 US dollars PPPM in 1998 to 35.93 US dollars in 1999 (P<0.001), and health plan drug costs for all 8,643 members decreased by 13% from 14.93 US dollars per member per month (PMPM) in 1998 to 12.99 US dollars in 1999 (P<0.001). The actual average copayment increase was 7.23 US dollars (a 41% increase) for LSAs, which was associated with a 14.8% increase in utilization of LSAs and an 11.8% increase in the number of patients using LSAs; the number of LSA prescriptions per patient per year was unchanged at 2.68 in 1999 versus 2.61 in 1998 (P = 0.429). The actual average copayment increase was 10.98 US dollars (71%) for NSs, which was associated with an 11.3% decrease in utilization of NSs and a 10.2% decrease in the number of users of nasals steroids in 1999; the number of nasal steroid prescriptions per patient per year was unchanged at 2.05 in 1999 versus 2.07 in 1998 (P =.842). The combined utilization of LSA and NS prescriptions increased by 8.9% following the increase in copayments for these 2 therapeutically interchangeable drugs for allergic rhinitis. LSA prescriptions were less elastic, with an unadjusted arc elasticity of 0.39, while nasal steroid prescriptions were more responsive to the copayment change, with an unadjusted arc elasticity of.0.22. CONCLUSIONS: An average 10 US dollars increase in patient cost sharing per prescription (46.9% copayment increase) was associated with an increase in combined utilization of 2 drug classes used for allergic rhinitis (LSAs and NSs) but no change in the number of prescriptions per patient. Health plan costs decreased significantly for allergic rhinitis drugs, all drugs used by allergic rhinitis patients, and all drugs used by continuously enrolled health plan members. NSs exhibited a greater arc price elasticity compared with low-sedating oral antihistamines.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed2001

Corticosteroid prescription filling for children covered by Medicaid following an emergency department visit or a hospitalization for asthma.

OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors of corticosteroid prescription filling following an emergency department (ED) visit or a hospitalization for asthma. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. PATIENTS: Tennessee children (defined as those aged 2-17 years in this study) covered by Medicaid were included in the cohort if they had an ED visit or a hospitalization for asthma between July 1, 1995, and December 31, 1997. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prescriptions filled in the child's name for an oral corticosteroid within 7 days of the latest ED visit or hospitalization for asthma. RESULTS: Of 6035 Tennessee children covered by Medicaid with an ED visit for asthma and of 2102 covered by Medicaid with a hospitalization for asthma during the study period, less than half (44.8% following an ED visit and 55.5% following a hospitalization) had prescriptions filled for oral corticosteroids within 7 days. Factors independently predicting a child's not having an oral corticosteroid prescription filled included older age, black race, and residence in rural regions of the state. Conversely, children with oral corticosteroid prescriptions in the previous 6 months were more likely to have oral corticosteroid prescriptions filled following an ED visit for asthma, and children with more than 3 beta-agonist prescriptions in the previous 6 months were more likely to have oral corticosteroid prescriptions filled following a hospitalization for asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, fewer than half of Tennessee children covered by Medicaid had an oral corticosteroid prescription filled following an ED visit or a hospitalization for asthma. Age, race, and county of residence predicted failure to have a prescription filled. Further study is needed to determine whether variations in corticosteroid prescription filling relate to physician practice, family behavior, or both.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2007

The impact of over-the-counter simvastatin on the number of statin prescriptions in the United Kingdom: a view from the General Practice Research Database.

PURPOSE: The United Kingdom (UK) government changed the prescription policy of statins, making low-dose simvastatin (10 mg) available as an over-the-counter (OTC) drug in August 2004. We assessed the impact of this policy change on statin prescribing. METHODS: We examined all statin prescriptions in the General Practice Research Database (GPRD), a well-validated database of approximately 3.5 million patients, from the first quarter of 2001 to the second quarter of 2005. RESULTS: From 2001, the number of statin prescriptions written for GPRD patients was increasing by approximately 437 prescriptions per 100,000 people per quarter until the time of the policy change. Over the four quarters post-policy implementation, however, this trend changed abruptly (p < 0.0001) with a decrease of 281 prescriptions per 100,000 people per quarter. This decrease was not restricted to prescriptions of 10 mg statins but was also observed for statin prescriptions of >or=20 mg. Several other cardiovascular medications displayed a similar trend as that observed in the number of statin prescriptions. This trend was not observed among non-cardiovascular control medications. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the policy allowing the OTC sale of 10 mg simvastatin has had a significant impact on statin prescriptions by general practitioners. However, this new policy may also be leading to less aggressive statin therapy. An alternative explanation for the observed decrease in statin prescriptions may be related to the unknown factors responsible for the overall decrease observed with other cardiovascular prescription drugs.

Databases, Factual↗
PubMed2003

College on Problems of Drug Dependence taskforce on prescription opioid non-medical use and abuse: position statement.

This position paper from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence addresses the issues related to non-medical use and abuse of prescription opioids. A central theme throughout is the need to strike a balance between risk management strategies to prevent and deter prescription opioid abuse and the need for physicians and patients to have appropriate access to opioid pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pain. The epidemiology of prescription opioid use and abuse is reviewed. Non-medical use and abuse of prescription opioids are on the rise in the United States, illicit use of several widely prescribed opioids has increased disproportionately more than illicit use, and the prevalence of prescription opioid abuse appears to be similar to that of heroin and cocaine abuse. There is a paucity of abuse liability testing of prescription opioids, and methods should be developed to fill critical gaps in our knowledge in this area. The role of regulatory agencies in preventing diversion of prescription opioids and identifying potential sources of diversion are discussed. More research is needed to identify those populations most at risk for abusing prescription opioids, and then to develop appropriately targeted prevention programs. Treatment options are discussed; these depend on whether or not an abuser is in pain. Prescription opioid abuse has harmful ramifications for the legitimate and appropriate use of opioids, including stigmatization, opiophobia, and undertreatment of pain. Recommended steps to take include further epidemiological research, laboratory testing of prescription opioids to determine abuse liability, and clinical trials to determine the efficacy of different approaches to the prevention and treatment of prescription opioid abuse.

Analgesics, Opioid↗
PubMed1987

Payment restrictions for prescription drugs under Medicaid. Effects on therapy, cost, and equity.

In an attempt to contain costs, 27 Medicaid programs have implemented patient-level payment limits for medications, but the effects of these restrictions on quality of care, costs, and health status remain largely unknown. We measured the effect of one state's limit of three paid prescriptions per month and its replacement a year later by a $1 copayment. Using data on 48 months of claims in the study state (New Hampshire) and a comparison state (New Jersey), we employed time-series analysis to evaluate patient-level changes in the number of prescriptions filled for 16 drugs that varied in their clinical importance and cost. Among 10,734 continuously enrolled patients, the limit of three paid prescriptions per month caused a sudden, sustained drop of 30 percent in the number of prescriptions filled (from 1.10 to 0.77 prescriptions per patient per month); no change was observed in the comparison state. The 860 recipients of multiple drugs, who were predominantly female and elderly or disabled, were most severely affected; the number of prescriptions per month dropped from 5.2 to 2.8 (46 percent). The decrease was greatest for "ineffective drugs" (58 percent), but large drops were also observed for "essential" medications, such as insulin (28 percent), thiazides (28 percent), and furosemide (30 percent). Reductions in Medicaid prescriptions were minimally offset by increases in the size of the prescription or in out-of-pocket payments. When a $1 copayment replaced the three-prescription cap, prescriptions for most medications increased to just below precap levels. Medicaid's savings on drug costs resulting from both policies were comparable ($0.4 to $0.8 million annually), but the copayment policy had less effect on patients receiving multiple drugs. Because the clinical consequences of such policies cannot be assessed from prescription data alone, further study is needed to determine the effects of cost-containment strategies on health status and the use of other services among poor populations.

Cost Control↗
PubMed2001

Preventing drug interactions by online prescription screening in community pharmacies and medical practices.

BACKGROUND: Drug interactions have been shown to be preventable by computerized prescription entry and screening only in hospitals and not in community-based practice. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the effect of online prescription screening in community pharmacies and physician offices of one health maintenance organization, phased in during 3 consecutive 6-month periods in 1998 to 1999 (period I, system active only in 40% of pharmacies; period II, system active in 90% of pharmacies and 50% of physician offices; period III, system active in 95% of pharmacies and 90% of physician practices), on rates of prescriptions with-, patient exposure to-, and physician prescribing of-potential drug interactions. FINDINGS: Cumulative data included 775,186 patients given at least one prescription, by one or more of 5504 physicians, whose prescriptions were dispensed at 572 pharmacies. Dispensing of drug interaction prescriptions was reduced by 21.1% and by 67.5% in periods II and III compared with period I (odds ratio, 0.79; 95% confidence limit, 0.75-0.83 and odds ratio, 0.28; 95% confidence limit, 0.26-0.30, respectively). Patient exposure decreased only in those receiving 3 to 7 concurrent drugs (odds ratio, 0.80; 95% confidence limit, 0.71-0.90) with no reductions for patients who were given 2 drugs or 8 or more drugs. Only 19% to 25% of physicians wrote prescriptions for drugs that interact, but 85% of these repeated this pattern after being alerted. The proportion of prescriptions of drugs that interact that originated with a single prescriber, as opposed to 2 prescribers, decreased during the 3 periods from 0.81 to 0.74 and 0.69 (P <.001). INTERPRETATION: Computerized prescription entry and drug interaction screening in the community caused a 62.8% reduction in pharmacy-dispensed prescriptions with severe drug interactions and a 20% reduction in patient exposure to prescriptions with severe drug interactions; this reduction was negated by polypharmacy of 8 or more drugs. The effect of interaction alerts on physician prescribing patterns was limited.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Medical use, illicit use and diversion of prescription stimulant medication.

The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence and factors associated with the illicit use of prescription stimulants and to assess the relationship between the medical and illicit use of prescription stimulants among undergraduate college students. A Web survey was self-administered by a random sample of 9,161 undergraduate students attending a large public midwestern university in the spring of 2003. A total of 8.1% reported lifetime illicit use of prescription stimulants and 5.4% reported past year illicit use. The number of undergraduate students who reported illicit use of prescription stimulants exceeded the number of students who reported medical use of prescription stimulants for ADHD. The leading sources of prescription stimulants for illicit use were friends and peers. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed several risk factors for illicit use of prescription stimulants such as being male, White, member of a social fraternity or sorority, Jewish religious affiliation, and lower grade point average. All of these characteristics were also related to medically prescribed use of prescription stimulants. Those who initiated medically prescribed use of prescription stimulants for ADHD in elementary school were generally not at increased risk for illicit use of prescription stimulants or other drugs during college as compared to those who were never prescribed stimulant medication. The present study provides evidence that the illicit use of prescription stimulants is a problem among undergraduate college students, and certain subgroups appear to be at heightened risk.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

A one-year population-based study of drug prescriptions for Danish children.

We examined the pattern of prescribed drug use in Danish children and used a pharmacoepidemiological prescription database to identify all reimbursed prescriptions for children aged 0-15 y living in North Jutland County (population 95 189), Denmark, during 1997. We identified 154 189 prescriptions for 48 091 drug users. The 20 most frequently prescribed chemical substance subgroups comprised 71.3% of all prescriptions. The mean annual prescription rate was 1621/1000 children/y. Overall, 50.6% of the population received one or more prescription. In children younger than 3 y, 75.3% received prescriptions and 17.5% obtained five or more prescriptions. Systemic antibiotics, anti-asthmatics, ophthalmologicals and dermatological corticosteroids accounted for 82% of prescriptions. One-third of the young children received anti-asthmatics, mainly oral beta-2 agonists, and almost half received antibiotics, mainly broad-spectrum penicillins. In the 7-15-y-olds, 39.1% received prescriptions. Hormones, antihistamines, anti-epileptics, anti-acne preparations and anti-diabetics comprised an increasing proportion of prescriptions. About 20% received antibiotics and 6% anti-asthmatics. In conclusion, the level of exposure to prescribed drugs was considerable at all ages and was highest in early childhood. Our study supports the need for epidemiological studies on the reasons for drug use and evaluation of their pharmacological effects in children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Medicare beneficiaries' management of capped prescription benefits.

BACKGROUND: Having annual dollar limits in prescription coverage is a type of benefit design unique to Medicare beneficiaries. This type of coverage is found predominantly within private Medigap policies and Medicare+Choice plans offering prescription coverage. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of capped prescription benefits on efforts to reduce out-of-pocket prescription expenses by beneficiaries at risk for reaching their cap. RESEARCH DESIGN: This design was quasi-experimental, with data obtained from self-administered questionnaires mailed to 600 Medicare HMO risk enrollees with capped prescription benefits. RESULTS: Data were collected on 378 Medicare enrollees for a 63% response rate. Approximately half of all respondents participated in > or =1 strategy to reduce their out-of-pocket prescription expenses. Participation in selected strategies included obtaining samples from physicians (39.2%), taking less than prescribed amounts (23.6%), and discontinuing prescribed medications (16.3%). Additionally, 15% of respondents indicated going without necessities, and 12% indicated borrowing money to pay for their prescriptions. Those who reached their prescription cap were more likely to participant in any one behavior (odds ratio [OR], 2.18), more likely to take less medication than prescribed (OR, 2.83), more likely to discontinue a medication (OR, 3.36), and more likely to obtain samples from their physician (OR, 2.02) compared with those who had not reached their prescription cap. CONCLUSIONS: Beneficiaries at risk for reaching their prescription cap are taking steps to reduce their out-of-pocket prescription costs. Although some behaviors would be considered prudent, other behaviors may be placing beneficiaries at risk for drug-related morbidity and mortality.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Access to sterile syringes in Maine: pharmacy practice after the 1993 repeal of the syringe prescription law.

In October 1993, the Maine legislature repealed the prescription law regulating the sale of syringes. The new law allowed but did not require licensed pharmacists to dispense syringes without a prescription to anyone 18 years of age or older. From November 1995 to January 1996, we conducted a telephone survey of 208 Maine pharmacists to evaluate the sale of syringes with and without a prescription and to assess pharmacists' willingness to sell syringes without a prescription. We found that 94% of pharmacists were willing, in all cases or at the discretion of the pharmacist, to sell syringes without a prescription. However, when asked specifically about willingness to sell syringes without a prescription to suspected injection drug users (IDUs) > or =18 years of age, 47% were willing, 40% were not willing, and 13% did not know or declined to answer. Pharmacists reported other requirements for the purchase of syringes without a prescription, such as the requirement for the customer to provide a reasonable justification for the purchase. In all, there were 31 (15%) pharmacists in the sample willing to sell syringes to without a prescription with no additional requirements for purchase to suspected IDUs as permitted by law. There were few negative incidents reported involving IDUs and the sale of syringes without a prescription since amendment of the law. Although sales of syringes without a prescription were reported, the numbers sold fell short of the estimated number of syringes required for IDUs in Maine to use a new syringe for every injection. Despite the change in the prescription law intended to increase access to syringes, the data suggest barriers such as drug paraphernalia laws and pharmacy policies may prevent IDUs from purchasing syringes and contribute to ongoing transmission of HIV. Amendment of the drug paraphernalia and syringe possession laws, clarification of the legitimate medical purpose of access to sterile syringes for IDUs, and offering pharmacists continuing education on the prevention of blood-borne disease appear to be necessary steps in the effort to decrease the transmission of HIV among IDUs in Maine.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Prescription of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants for back pain in the United States.

STUDY DESIGN: Secondary analysis of the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). OBJECTIVE.: To examine national prescription patterns of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and muscle relaxants among individuals with back pain in the United States. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: There is a lack of information on national prescription patterns of NSAIDs and muscle relaxants among individuals with back pain in the United States. METHODS: Traditional NSAIDs, cyclooxygenase-2-specific (COX-2) inhibitors, and muscle relaxants were investigated. Individuals with back pain were stratified by socio-demographic characteristics and geographic regions. For each medication category, overall prescribing frequency was compared across different strata and individual drug prescription was analyzed. RESULTS: Traditional NSAIDs, COX-2 inhibitors, and muscle relaxants, respectively, accounted for 16.3%, 10%, and 18.5% of total prescriptions for back pain in 2000. Among individual drugs, ibuprofen and naproxen accounted for most of the prescriptions for traditional NSAIDs (60%), whereas two thirds of the prescriptions for muscle relaxants were attributable to cyclobenzaprine, carisoprodol, and methocarbamol. Prescription of COX-2 inhibitors or muscle relaxants demonstrated wide variations across different regions. Several individual characteristics including age, race, and educational level were associated with the prescription of some of the medications. CONCLUSIONS: Neither traditional NSAIDs, nor COX-2 inhibitors, nor muscle relaxants dominated prescriptions for back pain. However, a small number of individual drugs were attributable to most of the prescriptions for traditional NSAIDs or muscle relaxants. The prescription of some of the medications demonstrated wide variations across different regions or different racial and educational groups. More studies are needed to understand the source of the variations and what constitutes optimal prescribing.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗