European journal of hospital pharmacy : science and practice最新文献

Background: Several hospital pharmacy services exist, which take place at different interfaces of patient care. Although they are an important tool for improving medication safety, they are not yet sufficiently implemented in hospitals around the world.

Objective: This scoping review aims to summarise different hospital pharmacy services at transition of care (TOC) points in order to identify development trends and practice patterns in high-income countries over the past decade.

Methods: A literature search of four databases (PubMed, PubPharm, Cochrane Library (Ovid) and ScienceDirect) since 2011 was conducted. A detailed search strategy was developed and refined with the help of a research librarian. Title, abstract and full-text selection was carried out by two researchers independently. The study was reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR items to ensure quality standard reporting. Only studies originating from developed countries and published in the English language were included. The data obtained were extracted and summarised using a data extraction form developed to meet the research aims of the study.

Results: Of the 5456 search results, 65 studies met the inclusion criteria. These originated from Europe (n=29), North America/Canada (n=28), Australia (n=7) and Asia (n=1). Individual TOC services such as medication reconciliation and medication review on admission and at discharge were the main focus of published literature practice patterns between 2011 and 2016, after which a more holistic TOC service started to emerge that follows patients across all TOC points during their hospital stay. Facilitators and barriers were consistently dependent on resources and infrastructure. Clinical and economic outcomes show a mixed picture.

Conclusion: During the past decade pharmaceutical services have developed more holistic TOC services. Large-scale high-quality studies are needed to reliably determine clinical and economic benefit.

Background: The antimicrobial de-escalation strategy (ADE) plays a crucial role in antimicrobial stewardship, reducing the likelihood of bacterial resistance. This study aims to evaluate how often the intensive care unit (ICU) used ADE for empirical treatment during COVID-19.

Materials: Adult ICU patients receiving empirical antimicrobial therapy for bacterial infections were retrospectively studied from September 2020 to December 2021. ADE was defined as (1) discontinuation of an antimicrobial in case of empirical combination therapy or (2) replacement of the antimicrobial to narrow the antimicrobial spectrum within the first 3 days of therapy, according to the test results and clinical picture.

Results: A total of 99 patients were included in the study. The number of patients who received empirical combined therapy (38.4%) was lower than those who received monotherapy (61.6%). The most preferred monotherapy (45.9%) was piperacillin-tazobactam, while the most preferred in combination treatment (22.7%) was meropenem. Within the first 3 days of admittance to the ICU, 3% of patients underwent ADE for their empirical antimicrobial therapy, 61.6% underwent no change, and 35.4% underwent change other than ADE. Procalcitonin levels were below 2 µg/L on the third day of treatment in 69.7% of the patients. Culture or culture-antibiogram results of 50.5% of the patients were obtained within the first 3 days of empirical therapy. There was no growth in the culture results of 21 patients (21.2%) during their ICU stay.

Conclusion: In this study, ADE practice was much lower than expected. In order to reduce the significant differences between theory and reality, clinical, laboratory, and organisational conditions must be objectively assessed along with patient characteristics.

Objectives: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious complication in patients treated with sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between SGLT2i and the risk of DKA, and to identify high-risk groups and characteristics that should be emphasised.

Methods: A retrospective case series study was conducted to collect medical records of inpatients diagnosed with DKA and using SGLT2i before the onset of the disease from September 2022 to September 2023 in a tertiary hospital in Shanghai. Cases that met the inclusion criteria were retrieved through the electronic medical record system. Information was collected to compare the risk of DKA in patients with different characteristics.

Results: A total of 21 patients (12 men and 9 women) met the criteria for SGLT2i-associated DKA. The mean diabetes duration was 10.4 years, with 47.6% (10/21) of patients diagnosed with euglycaemic DKA. The drug treatment regimen most commonly used was the combination of SGLT2i and metformin, representing 52.4% (11/21) of cases. The most common clinical symptoms were nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and malaise. Common predisposing factors were acute infections, acute pancreatitis (predominantly hyperlipidaemic type), dietary inappropriateness, acute cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events and surgery. 71.4% of patients (15/21) had multiple risk factors.

Conclusion: The use of SGLT2i in diabetic patients is associated with an increased risk of DKA, particularly in the presence of predisposing factors such as infection. Furthermore, long diabetes duration, decreased pancreatic β-cell function and the combined use of metformin may also contribute to the risk of DKA in patients treated with SGLT2i. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for better identification and management of DKA risks associated with SGLT2i in clinical practice.

Objectives: The compatibility of intravenous fluids with medications is of paramount concern to pharmacists and is an imperative component of ensuring patient safety. Data regarding the physical compatibility of medications with intravenous fluids has not been examined, or published with conflicting results or the concentrations studied were not consistent with current practice. Our objective was to determine the physical compatibility of ceftriaxone and cefepime in 0.45% sodium chloride, Ringer's lactate solution, and Plasma-Lyte A.

Methods: An in vitro analysis of the physical compatibility of ceftriaxone and cefepime at 10 mg/mL, 20 mg/mL, and 40 mg/mL concentrations was conducted in 0.45% sodium chloride, Ringer's lactate solution, and Plasma-Lyte A. Admixtures were evaluated in triplicate at hours 0, 1, 5, 8, and 24. Physical compatibility was assessed by visual inspection, spectrophotometry, and pH analysis.

Results: Ceftriaxone 40 mg/mL was found to be physically incompatible in 0.45% sodium chloride and Ringer's lactate solution beyond 5 hours and in Plasma-Lyte A beyond 8 hours. Cefepime was found to be physically incompatible with all fluids and in all concentrations beyond 1 hour.

Conclusions: This work contributes to the body of literature dedicated to the evaluation of intravenous drug and fluid physical compatibility by identifying demonstrable changes in admixtures containing 0.45% sodium chloride, Plasma-Lyte A, and Ringer's lactate solution. Ceftriaxone should not be administered with 0.45% sodium chloride, Ringer's lactated solution, or Plasma-Lyte A at selected concentrations and time points and cefepime is not considered to be physically compatible at 10 mg/mL, 20 mg/mL, or 40 mg/mL in any of the studied fluids beyond 1 hour.

Objective: To analyse the economic impact of the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in fixed-dose regimens and to determine the potential economic savings of using weight-adjusted dosing, as well as to describe the current situation in Spanish hospitals.

Methods: Observational, descriptive, retrospective and multicentre study that included all patients treated with pembrolizumab, nivolumab, avelumab, durvalumab and cemiplimab in fixed-dose regimens from 2020 to 2022 in four hospitals in a Spanish province (Albacete). Clinical variables: drug, therapeutic indication, body weight, percentage of overdose and number of cycles received. Economic variables studied included: cost per cycle (fixed-dose and weight-adjusted dosing), total cost and opportunity cost. The dosage regimen chosen for immune checkpoint inhibitors in Spain was carried out by means of an anonymous survey. The survey was sent out using a distribution list of the Oncology Pharmacy Working Group (GEDEFO) of the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy (SEFH).

Results: The study included 297 patients (155 pembrolizumab, 115 nivolumab, 12 avelumab, 11 durvalumab and 4 cemiplimab). The opportunity cost: pembrolizumab €615,316, nivolumab €486,327, avelumab €19,974, durvalumab €28,367 and cemiplimab €4,008. A total of 53 responses to the survey were received. In 54.7% of cases the weight-adjusted dosing regimen had been partially implemented in the prescription of some drugs and/or indications. In those hospitals that used weight-adjusted dosing, the decision was mainly made by the Pharmacy Service in consensus with Oncology (70.5%).

Conclusions: Our study showed a percentage of overdose of all drugs when using a fixed-dose regimen. This translates into a considerable increase in the budgetary impact versus the weight-adjusted dosing. The survey shows the scenario of our healthcare practice at the national level, confirming the variability in dosage regimens used in Spanish hospitals and the possible budgetary impact that therapeutic optimisation would entail.

Background and objectives: Pharmacists' involvement in patient care became more common in Finnish hospitals during the period of 2011-2016. The first national survey was conducted in 2011 and repeated using the same method in 2016. This development was in accordance with patient safety policy initiatives and European hospital pharmacy statements. This study aimed to conduct the third national follow-up survey on hospital clinical pharmacy services in Finland in 2022 and compare the results with those in 2016.

Methods: The study was conducted in 2022 as a national online survey targeting hospital pharmacies (n=22) and smaller-scale, independently operating medicine dispensaries (n=23). Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were used for the data analysis.

Results: The response rate was 64% (n=29/45), accounting for 19/22 hospital pharmacies and 10/23 medicine dispensaries. Clinical pharmacy services were provided in 83% (n=24/29) of the responding units. The clinical pharmacy staff increased between 2017 and 2022 and services became more common, particularly at admission units (eg, emergency departments) and outpatient clinics. In some units (25%, n=6/24), services were also available in the evenings and in one unit during weekends. Similar to 2016, system-based medication safety risk management was also highlighted in this survey, and the first medication safety officer positions (n=8/24) were created. The most increased tasks were medication reviews and medication safety audits, while in 2016 the most increased task was medication reconciliation. Pharmacist participation in patient discharge had decreased. Despite the increasing prevalence of automation technology and pharmacy assistants, logistical tasks decreased only slightly.

Conclusions: Finnish hospital clinical pharmacy services have continued to expand in accordance with national and international guidelines, and have become increasingly concentrated on medication safety risk management. They currently engage in admission and outpatient units, but effort should also be put into discharge.