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PubMedDate not supplied

Onset of illegal use of mind-altering or potentially addictive prescription drugs among pharmacists.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the temporal and descriptive aspects of pharmacists' decision-making processes regarding illegal use of mind-altering or potentially addictive prescription drugs (PAPDs) and to measure the effects of social factors associated with being and becoming a pharmacist on pharmacists' decisions to use PAPDs illegally. DESIGN: One-time, written, mailed survey. SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: Random sample of licensed practicing pharmacists who were members of the American Pharmaceutical Association in fall 1996. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Responses to items on the survey. RESULTS: Nearly 40% of respondents indicated that they had used a form of PAPD without first obtaining a physician's authorizing prescription. A significant portion of the sample showed signs of repeated use-20% of the respondents reported 5 or more lifetime PAPD-use episodes, and 6% reported more than 10 such episodes. Almost 6% of the respondents identified themselves as being drug abusers at some point during their pharmacy careers. Moreover, a full 88% of these pharmacists began such illegal PAPD use after entering college, 51% used more than one type or class of PAPD, and 69% directly violated their professional code of ethics and state and/or federal laws by either stealing PAPDs from their place of employment (61%) or forging prescriptions (8%) to obtain them. CONCLUSION: A considerable percentage (40%) of the pharmacists surveyed had, on at least one occasion, used some form of PAPD without first obtaining a physician's authorizing prescription, and about one-fifth of respondents reported repeated use. The onset of such illegal PAPD use by pharmacists almost always occurred after the individuals had entered college. Interpersonal factors, such as positive reinforcement of self-medication practices from peers and increased levels of one's own approval for self-medication, appear to increase the likelihood that a pharmacist will engage in such illegal PAPD use.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

[Evaluation of erythrocyte concentrate prescription in a university hospital center].

This prospective study, based on declaratory data, evaluates the appropriateness of red blood cell transfusion prescriptions in a university hospital. Local recommendations written after data collection and the analysis of prescriptions using a blinded method limited the bias related to the declaratory data. The results show that the rate of unjustified prescriptions is 4.2% (95% CI: 2.2%; 6.2%). This rate is statistically (P = 0.032) lower in the department of surgery (1.3%) than in the department of medicine (5.7%). This rate tends to decrease according to the experience of the prescriber (P = 0.06) and varies significantly according to the hemoglobin levels (P = 0.03). The logistic regression, integrating these three parameters, confirms that only the hemoglobin level is significantly related (P < 0.003) to the appropriateness of RBC transfusions. This study also highlights problems not linked to prescriptions, and the hospital created a quality assurance program as a result.

Anemia↗
PubMed2003

Administrative prescription review procedures and use of atypical antipsychotic medications in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Atypical antipsychotic medications vary in cost with limited evidence of differences in effectiveness. Administrative prescription review has been proposed as a way of encouraging use of less expensive medication when there is no specific clinical justification for using more expensive medication. This study examined data from a national GAO survey of 876 veterans affairs (VA) psychiatrists, and national administrative data on the proportion of veterans actually receiving atypical antipsychotic medications. The proportion of psychiatrists in each region reporting that they did not feel free to prescribe expensive drugs when indicated was negatively correlated with the proportion of patients who filled prescriptions for clozapine, the most expensive atypical. The proportion reporting review procedures for prescribing olanzapine was significantly and negatively correlated with the proportion of veterans actually receiving prescriptions for olanzapine and, positively associated with the proportion prescribed risperidone. Nondirective administrative review procedures in VA are significantly associated with actual prescribing patterns and may generate modest cost savings in the prescription of atypical antipsychotic medication.

Antipsychotic Agents↗
PubMed2003

Evidence-based guidelines for non-prescription treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC).

In the UK, there has been a rapid increase in the reclassification of prescription only medicines (POMs) to pharmacy only (P) and general sales list (GSL) status. This means that community pharmacy staff have a greater range of non-prescription medicines to recommend for the treatment of minor illness. Strategies are needed to promote good professional practice in the supply of non-prescription medicines. Guidelines have been shown to promote quality of care in other health care settings. In this article, we present evidence based guidelines for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis using non-prescription anti-fungal medicines.

Antifungal Agents↗
PubMed2003

Psychotropic prescription use by community-dwelling elderly in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: To examine psychotropic prescription use in community-dwelling elderly in the United States and its association with predisposing, enabling, and need factors. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of the 1996 Medical Expenditure Survey (MEPS). SETTING: A national representative sample survey of the United States non-institutionalized population. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling persons aged 65 and older participating in the MEPS. MEASUREMENTS: Psychotropic prescription use patterns and factors associated with the use of psychotropics in general as well as of individual classes, specifically antidepressants, antianxiety agents, and sedative/hypnotics. RESULTS: According to the MEPS, more than 6 million (19%) community-dwelling elderly persons used psychotropic medications in 1996. Nearly 3 million (9.1%) elderly were taking antidepressants, almost 2.5 million (7.5%) antianxiety agents, and 1.5 million (4.8%) sedative/hypnotics. Several correlates of psychotropic prescription use were identified. Enabling (e.g., prescription insurance) and need (e.g., health status) factors were found to be consistently associated with the use of antidepressant, antianxiety, and sedative/hypnotic agents. Predisposing factors such as sex, race, region, and education varied with the type of psychotropic drug class examined. CONCLUSION: Nearly one in five community-dwelling elderly persons used psychotropic medications, primarily antidepressants followed by antianxiety agents. Enabling and need factors were consistently associated with psychotropic classes examined, whereas most predisposing factors varied with the type of psychotropic drug class.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Patients' attitudes to medicines and expectations for prescriptions.

BACKGROUND: Recent research has shown that patients' expectations for prescriptions influence doctors' prescribing decisions, but little is known of the antecedents of these expectations. OBJECTIVES: To test earlier qualitative research about patients' views of medicines; to describe the demographic characteristics of those holding orthodox and unorthodox views of medicines; to investigate the relationship between patients' ideal and predicted expectations for prescriptions; and to determine the relative effects of attitudinal, demographic, organizational and illness variables on these expectations. DESIGN: Questionnaire survey of patients consulting general practitioners. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 544 patients and 15 doctors in four general practices. MAIN VARIABLES STUDIED: Patients' attitudes to medicines; patients' demographic characteristics; organizational variables; aspects of patients' presenting problems. OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients' ideal and predicted expectations for prescriptions. RESULTS: Orthodox and unorthodox attitudes to medicines can be measured quantitatively, and ethnicity was the only demographic variable associated with both. Ideal and predicted expectations for prescriptions were closely related to each other but differed in their antecedents. Both types of expectations were associated with attitudinal, demographic, organizational and illness variables. Ideal expectations were influenced by orthodox and unorthodox attitudes to medicines, while predicted expectations were only influenced by orthodox attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies of patients' expectations for health services should distinguish between ideal and predicted expectations, and should consider the range of possible influences on these expectations. In particular, the effect of the organization and context of health services should be investigated.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Survival analytic approach to long-term prescription of benzodiazepine hypnotics.

Eight hundred and sixty-two patients who visited the department of neuropsychiatry and who were prescribed benzodiazepine (BZ) hypnotics were investigated to evaluate the actual state of their use, in terms of age, gender, diagnostic categories according to ICD-9, duration of prescription and dose equivalent to diazepam prescribed. The frequency of prescriptions in subjects were surveyed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis at every 3 months. Mean survival time to discontinuation was 8.5 months. A total of 60% of the subjects did not receive BZ hypnotics at the end of the third month, but 20% remained to be prescribed after 1 year. Moreover, 7.9% of the subjects were prescribed BZ hypnotics even after 3 years. The results indicated that 20% of patients who had started prescriptions for BZ hypnotics had the potential to induce dependence. The following variables were found in the long-term prescription: male patients; aged patients over 60; and affective psychoses (which mainly consisted of depression) including neurotic depression, in the present study. A low dose was considered to be associated with an ability to be free from BZ hypnotics in an early period.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Non-prescription complementary treatments used by rheumatoid arthritis patients attending a community-based rheumatology practice.

BACKGROUND: Over 80% of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have used some type of complementary medicine (CM) at some time. Little is known about RA patients' perceptions of the efficacy, hazards and costs associated with CM use relative to physician-prescribed medicine. These data may be helpful in better understanding patients' needs and in improving their care. AIMS: To determine the prevalence and features of CM use among RA patients attending a community-based private rheumatology practice. CM was defined as treatment that was initiated by the patient, excluding treatment that had been prescribed or specifically recommended by their doctor. telephone-administered questionnaire was used to survey a stratified random sample of 200 RA patients who had attended the practice within the preceding year. The main outcome measures were: (i) CM use in the past year, (ii) patient expenditure on CM, (iii) patients' perceptions of CM and (iv) characteristics of patients using CM. RESULTS: One hundred and six patients responded (response rate 53%) and 101 completed the interview. Seventy-four patients (73.3%) had used some form of CM in the past year. There were 68 (67.3%) patients who had utilized complementary therapies and 32 patients (31.7%) who had consulted a complementary practitioner for their RA. The most commonly used treatments were dietary (64 instances) and behavioural/cognitive therapies (45 instances). Prescription medicine was considered more beneficial than either form of CM, and users and non-users of CM held a similar perception of the efficacy of prescription medicine. The median amount spent on RA treatment per month was $A7 (range 0-91) for complementary treatments, $A26 (1-270) for complementary practitioners and $A7 (0-80) for prescription medicine. Women were more likely to have consulted a CM practitioner (OR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.2-1.9), as were patients who were not receiving a pension (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.1-2.6). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that CM use is prevalent among RA patients attending a community-based private rheumatology practice. Despite lesser perceived benefit, patients spent at least as much money on CM as they did on prescription medicine. These findings suggest that there are other factors motivating the use of alternative treatments.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1999

Prescription of hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women with renal failure.

UNLABELLED: Prescription of hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women with renal failure. BACKGROUND: Although patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are at increased risk for early menopause, osteoporosis, cognitive dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease, few postmenopausal women are prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The reasons for the low prescription rate are not known. This study uses data from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) to assess the prevalence and predictors of HRT use in postmenopausal women with ESRD. METHODS: Data were obtained from the USRDS Dialysis Morbidity and Mortality Study Wave 2. All women who were at least 45 years of age were considered postmenopausal and were selected for our analysis. Demographics, behavior and medical characteristics were abstracted from the database. Logistic regression was used to estimate the independent contribution of population characteristics in predicting the use of HRT. Linear regression models were used to estimate the relationship between HRT use and both triglycerides and total cholesterol. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of HRT prescription was 10.8%. Important predictors of HRT use included age (aOR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.88, P < 0.001), black ethnicity (aOR = 0.50, 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.78, P < 0.002), college education (aOR = 3. 00, 95% CI, 1.70 to 5.24, P < 0.001), and the ability to ambulate (aOR = 1.99, 95% CI, 1.01 to 3.91, P = 0.05). Serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were higher among women treated with HRT than among those not treated with HRT (264 +/- 155 vs. 217 +/- 159 mg/dl, P = 0.001 and 220 +/- 62 vs. 209 +/- 55 mg/dl, P = 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: HRT is prescribed less frequently in postmenopausal ESRD patients than in the general population. Younger age, higher education levels, white race, and the ability to ambulate were important predictors of HRT use. Targeting populations of patients who are likely to benefit from but less likely to be prescribed HRT may increase the prescription of HRT.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Palliative pharmaceutical care: a randomized, prospective study of telephone-based prescription and medication counseling services for treating chronic pain.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of providing a unique telephone-based pharmaceutical care program to a sample of patients enrolled at a university pain clinic in Philadelphia, Pa. We hypothesized that in comparison to routine pharmaceutical care, the telephone-based pharmaceutical care program would have a positive impact on delivery of medication, quality of life, and overall satisfaction with the pain clinic program. PATIENTS: One hundred seven pain clinic patients were randomly assigned to the control and intervention groups. Seventy-four patients (control group, n = 36; intervention group, n = 38) met inclusion criteria. METHOD: The control group continued to receive care and prescription services through the same means as prior to the study. There were 2 components to the pharmaceutical care program offered to the intervention group. The first component consisted of a palliative care pharmacy company, PainRxperts, providing specialized prescription services tailored to the needs of a pain medicine clinical practice. The second component involved the palliative-trained pharmacist's proactive monitoring of patient pharmacotherapy for potential or actual drug related problems (DRPs). RESULTS: Intervention patients perceived that they had better access to medication, more efficient processing of prescriptions, and fewer stigmatizing experiences. They also endorsed pharmacists' behavioral interventions such as medication counseling, availability to answer medication-related questions, and non-judgmental attitudes when managing opioid prescriptions. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the palliative-trained pharmacist can play an important collaborative role in managing chronic pain. Application of the pharmaceutical care model in pain medicine centers can improve satisfaction and remove some of the barriers to good pharmaceutical care facing patients with chronic pain disorders

Clinical Trial↗
PubMed2007

[Polypharmacy, compliance and non-prescription medication in patients with cardiovascular disease in Germany].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The expenses of health insurances are continuously raising. With implementation of evidence-based medicine resulting in polypharmacy, compliance is decreasing and patients as well as physicians are facing unintentional drug interactions. Furthermore the arbitrary use of additional drugs apart from prescribed medication has to be considered. The objective of this study was to analyse polypharmacy, compliance and utilisation patterns for non-prescription medications (OTC) in patients with cardiovascular diseases. METHODS: 100 patients with cardiovascular diseases (45 women, 55 men, 58 - 87 years) were interviewed using a questionnaire. The compliance was determined by the Morisky-Score. RESULTS: 78 % of the patients received more than four pills every day (median 8.34). Most common products were beta-blockers (89 %), ACE-Inhibitors/Sartans (69 %) and aspirin (65 %). Only 52 % of the patients knew the indications of their medication. Although 83 % of the patients claimed to be absolutely compliant concerning their medication, the Morisky-Score revealed a high compliance only in 52 %. The compliance decreased significantly if the number of prescribed medication increased to more than four pills a day. 48 % of the patients took regularly non-prescription products, 35 % more than three additional products daily. Most commonly multivitamins, minerals, herbals and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were used. This non-prescription medication did not affect the compliance of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Polypharmacy with more than four pills daily leads to a lower compliance and can therefore influence the implementation of guideline-medicine. Non-prescription medication is widely used and should be considered because of their potential side-effects and drug interactions.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1981

Effect of the hemodialysis prescription on patient morbidity: report from the National Cooperative Dialysis Study.

This report summarizes morbidity in 151 patients in a cooperative trial designed to evaluate the clinical effects of different dialysis prescriptions. Four treatment groups were divided along two dimensions: dialysis treatment time (long or short), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration averaged with respect to time (TACurea) (high or low). Dietary protein was not restricted. There was no difference in mortality between the groups. Withdrawal of patients from the high-BUN groups for medical reasons was significantly greater than withdrawal from the low-BUN groups. Hospitalization was also greater in the high-BUN groups, but dialysis treatment time had no significant effects. The data indicate that the occurrence of morbid events is affected by the dialysis prescription. Increased morbidity appears to accompany prescriptions associated with a relatively high BUN. Conversely, morbidity may be decreased by prescriptions associated with more efficient removal of urea if the dietary intake of protein and other nutrients is adequate.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Application of the inverse Monte Carlo treatment planning system IKO for an inhomogeneous dose prescription in the sense of dose painting.

Biological imaging (PET SPECTJfMRI, MRS, etc.) is able to provide tri-dimensional biological information, i.e. proliferation, cell density, hypoxia or choline/citrate ratio. The implementation of this information in a treatment plan can be utilised to escalate the dose in target subvolumes. For this purpose, a treatment planning system has to be able to realise an inhomogeneous dose prescription with sufficient spatial resolution. The present study investigated to which extent the inverse Monte Carlo treatment planning system IKO (inverse kernel optimization), developed at our department, can modulate an inhomogeneous dose prescription. As a qualifier to describe this ability, we defined in analogy to imaging a modulation transfer function for treatment planning systems. In addition two clinical cases, a prostate case and a head-and-neck case, were set up with different dose prescriptions in different subtargets. The modulation transfer function revealed that IKO is able to modulate structures larger than 1.3 cm with sharp dose gradients. Also, IKO is able to modulate several subtargets inside a prostate with different escalated doses. The dose-volume histograms of the head-and-neck case showed a good dose coverage of the target volumes, as well as a good protection of the organs at risk according to the dose constraints. As a result, IKO is able to realise a heterogeneous dose prescription in the sense of "dose painting".

Algorithms↗
PubMed1998

Exercise prescription for weight management.

The debate surrounding the level of intensity of exercise that is best for health improvement has potentially clouded the issue of optimal exercise prescription for weight management. Low-intensity activity is potentially superior to moderate to high intensity for improving metabolic risk factors, and accumulated small bouts of physical activity are as effective to this end as single longer bouts, as long as the overall volume of energy expenditure is equivalent. What should not be forgotten however, is that for weight-loss it is the total volume of energy expended that will dictate the size of the energy deficit imposed, not the composition of the exercise per se. Exercise prescription for weight management is a conundrum. Whilst it is the total volume of energy expended that will dictate the magnitude of weight lost, not the composition of the exercise per se, it is the nature of the exercise prescription that will dictate the long-term success of an exercise programme. It is how well the exercise prescription is individualized that influences tolerance of and interest in the programme and, thus, the adherence to it in the long term.

Energy Metabolism↗
PubMed2002

Antibiotic prescription rates vary markedly between 13 European countries.

There is a lack of data on antibiotic utilization in most European countries. In this study, information about the number of antibiotic prescriptions was obtained for Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the UK from the Institute for Medical Statistics Health Global Services in the UK. For Denmark and Sweden the information was obtained from the Danish Medicines Agency (Laegemiddelstyrelsen) and the National Corporation of Swedish Pharmacies (Apoteket AB), respectively. Between 1994 and 1997 the number of prescriptions per 1,000 inhabitants increased in France and Greece whilst Portugal, Spain and Sweden reported a decrease. In 1997, Greece (1,350), Spain (1,320) and Belgium (1,070) had the highest numbers of antibiotic prescriptions per 1,000 inhabitants in the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system for drugs group J01 while The Netherlands (390), Sweden (460) and Austria (480) had the lowest. The most common antibiotic drug was extended-spectrum penicillin in 6/13 countries, macrolides in Austria, Finland, Germany and Italy, phenoxymethylpenicillin in Denmark and Sweden and cephalosporins in Greece. The variation in the number of antibiotic prescriptions per 1,000 inhabitants between the 13 European countries was substantial in terms of both total use and use of different antibiotics.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2002

Pharmacy prescription dispensing errors reported to a regional poison control center.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the incidence, types, associations, and outcomes of pharmacy prescription dispensing errors reported to a regional poison control center. METHODS: Retrospective chart review over a 35-month period. RESULTS: Of 77,992 drug exposures reported, there were 6450 unintentional therapeutic exposures. Forty were the result of pharmacy prescription dispensing errors. Of these, 20 (50%) were medication substitution errors (wrong drug), 17 (42.5%) were labeling errors (correct drug, wrong formulation or instructions), and 3 (7.5%) were compounding errors (incorrect liquid dilution or capsule preparation). Both compounding and labeling errors were significantly more likely than substitution errors to be order-of-magnitude amounts. Compounding errors were also significantly more likely than labeling errors to be order-of-magnitude amounts. Labeling errors were significantly more likely to be liquids prescribed to children than substitution errors. Compounding errors had significantly more serious outcomes compared with substitution or labeling errors. CONCLUSIONS: Substitution and labeling errors are the most common pharmacy prescription dispensing errors reported to a regional poison control center. Compounding errors have the greatest potential for serious outcomes. Children are particularly at risk because of the increased potential for error in the preparation and use of liquids. Inclusion of scenarios of prescription dispensing errors in the Toxic Exposure Surveillance System database would improve error detection and tracking. Poison control centers may be a source of valuable feedback to physicians and pharmacists.

Child↗
PubMed2005

Predictors of prescription of morphine for severe cancer pain by physicians in Korea.

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to identify predictors of the prescription of strong opioids, which are important for the management of severe cancer pain, by Korean physicians. METHODS: A questionnaire based on a hypothetical case designed to assess the prescription of morphine by physicians was administered to 800 specialists in the Korea Cancer Association, of whom 147 (18.4%) responded, and to 2200 specialists in the Korean Academy of Family Medicine, of whom 388 (17.6%) responded. We used a multidimensional approach to identify the predictors of prescription of morphine by physicians. RESULTS: In the hypothetical case scenario, only 16.5% of the respondents stated that they would prescribe morphine for severe cancer pain. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that physicians with a positive attitude regarding opioid addiction [odds ratio (OR) 2.62; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.54-4.46], experience of pain assessment (OR 2.09; 95% CI 1.13-3.87), recent residency training (OR 2.27; 95% CI 1.30-4.0) and positive self-evaluation as an oncology specialist (OR 2.60; 95% CI 1.41-4.78) were more likely to prescribe morphine. None of the 13 variables in the knowledge dimension significantly predicted prescription of morphine for severe cancer pain. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the survey suggest that we need to develop strategies to develop a positive attitude toward opioids, to increase experience in pain assessment and to improve cancer pain management training among Korean physicians.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Influence of commercial information on prescription quantity in primary care.

BACKGROUND: In the last few years we have witnessed many publicly-financed health services reaching a crisis point. Thus, drug expenditure is nowadays one of the main concerns of health managers, and its containment one of the first goals of health authorities in western countries. The objective of this study is to identify the effect of the perceived quality stated in commercial information, its uses, and how physicians perceive the influence it has on prescription amounts. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 405 primary care physicians was conducted in Galicia (north-west Spain). The independent variables physician's education and speciality, physician's perception of the quality of available drug information sources, type of practice, and number of patients were collected, through a postal questionnaire. Environmental characteristics of the practice were obtained from secondary sources. Multiple regression models were constructed using as dependent variables two indicators of prescription volume. RESULTS: The response rate was 75.2%. Prescription amounts was found to be associated with perceived credibility of information provided by medical visitors, regulated physician training, and environmental characteristics of the practice (primary care team practice, urban environment). CONCLUSIONS: The study results suggest that in order to decrease prescription amounts it is necessary to limit the role of pharmaceutical companies in physician training, improve physician education and training, and emphasize more objective sources of information.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗