Preparation and Trial Use of a Database of Medicated Syrups for Assistance in Drug Dispensing.

We prepared a database (689 KB) on 113 medicated syrups using Microsoft Access to quickly search information primarily concerning potential incompatibilities when dispensing medicated syrups. This database contains and allows access to data concerning 16 items such as trade names, compositions, additives, incompatibilities, and the recommended doses collected from interview forms, package inserts, in-housedocuments, and from the literature. It can also accurately calculate the pediatric dose based on the adult dose. The size of this database is 906 KB including the basic data of Microsoft Excel (226 KB) prepared for facilities that do not possess Microsoft Access so that the entire database can be used as a simple database that utilizes the filter function of Microsoft Excel and, with file conversion, can also be used on Windows CE and Macintosh systems. Moreover, these basic data are also available to a large number of people via the LAN and Internet when converted to FileMaker Pro 5. As a result of the use of this database, a mean of 0.9 cases of absolute incompatibilities and a mean of 1.8 cases of possible incompatibilities per item were revealed in the 113 items, and 64 items were found to contain phydroxybenzoic esters as additives, which have been suggested to have a possible side effect of inducing asthma attacks. The data on the dosage for children were missing in 26 items (about 23%). Furthermore, we investigated the rate of prescriptions including medicated syrups at two pharmacies. The rates at pharmacy A and B were about 11% and 2%, respectively. Thirty four % and 82% of the prescribed medicines included medicated syrups at pharmacy A and B. Sixty three % of the prescriptions for pediatrics patients included 3 or more medicated syrups. This database is thus considered to be useful for both preparing and evaluating prescriptions for medicated syrups, their dispensing, and also as a source for educating patients.