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Author(s)

STEFANIE HEHENBERGER, IRENE LAGOJA, SANDRA BIELITZ-HOLZER

Why was it done?

Creation of a stoma means change in secretion, intestinal motility and absorption. Depending on localisation, this has also consequences for the absorption of drugs or certain drug forms. Data on absorption of drugs in ostomy patients are rare, but as most drugs are absorbed in the small intestine, ileostomy patients may more likely experience difficulty in absorbing and, therefore, gaining maximum benefit from oral medications.

What was done?

As part of a project, it was evaluated whether and which drug-related problems (DRPs) occur in stoma patients and, if so, measures for optimising drug therapy were proposed.
Relevant drug data (tmax, site of absorption, etc.) were collected and systematised in tabular form and the need for further pharmaceutical interventions was surveyed.

How was it done?

Over a period of 21 weeks, medication of Ileostomy patients (new created and pre-existing) hospitalised in various wards was screened.
A Level 3 medication analysis was performed, and the medication was then analysed with regard to possible stoma-specific DRPs.
All DRPs and pharmaceutical interventions were categorised and documented, and the identified DRPs brought to the attention of the patient’s medical team for review/ discussion in written form and/or personally.

What has been achieved?

Seventy-nine DRPs were identified in 15 medication reviews, of which 49 (62%) were classified as stoma associated DRPs. The pharmaceutical interventions were categorised, most common recommendations were monitoring (18) and change of the medication form (15). Acceptance of the interventions was also recorded (82%). Since a HOS (High output stoma) occurred frequently, an escalation scheme for the therapy of liquid stool and/or stool volume ≥1500ml/day was established. Finally, an interdisciplinary cooperation taking into account the complex patient factors could successfully be established.

What next?

Due to these results it can be assumed that ileostomy patients benefit greatly from pharmaceutical interventions, and that clinical-pharmaceutical care of ileostomy patients contributes to the drug therapy safety of this patient group and is therefore now being continued and incorporated into everyday clinical practice. In addition, further projects such as the creation of a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the interdisciplinary care of ileostomy patients are in progress.

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Author(s)

IGNASI SACANELLA ANGLÈS, MARTA MARTIN MARQUÉS, HELENA SUÑER BARRIGA, DAVID PASCUAL CARBONELL, PILAR LÓPEZ BROSETA, JÚLIA BODEGA AZUARA, MARÍA VUELTA ARCE, Mª ÁNGELES ROCH VENTURA, ISABEL PLO SECO, ERIKA ESTEVE PITARCH, ANTONIO GARCÍA MOLINA, SÒNIA JORNET MONTAÑA, CARLA DAIANA CIUCIU, SILVIA CONDE GINER, LAURA CANADELL VILARRASA

Why was it done?

Drug dosages and treatment algorithms in paediatric emergencies must be precise and unambiguous to ensure the safety and well-being of patients. Therefore, the introduction of electronic prescription systems in the Paediatric Emergency Room (PER) has become essential to assist clinical staff in prescribing, preparing, and administering the most commonly used drugs.

What was done?

Design and implementation of pharmacological cards as a supporting tool to standardise and streamline the dosages, preparation, and administration of the most frequently used drugs in paediatric emergencies, ensuring a prompt and safe response.

How was it done?

Pharmacological cards were developed for paediatric emergencies, including scenarios such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), seizures, sepsis, hypoglycaemia, anaphylaxis, and respiratory emergencies. These cards included the most commonly prescribed drugs, with input and agreement from paediatricians.
The files were organised based on weight categories (3.5-60 kg) and considered the age range of patients (0-15 years). Information collected included the active ingredient, commercial name and presentation, dose per kilogramme, total dosage, dose (expressed as volume for administration), maximum allowable dose, and administration technique. Certain specific conditions were highlighted in colour.
Both medical and nursing staff underwent training in the utilisation of these tools. An evaluation of the protocols was conducted 12 months after their implementation.

What has been achieved?

We developed a total of 21 pharmacological cards, categorised by weight range, encompassing 33 drugs commonly used in paediatric emergencies.
The pharmacological cards were designed in a tabular format, which included the following information: active principle (highlighted in black), commercial name (in red), drug concentration (in blue), standardised dose (in g, mg, mcg, ml, mEq) per kilogramme, total dosage, total volume for administration, maximum allowable dose, route of administration, and administration technique. Additionally, we used background colours to highlight specific situations, such as red for CPR, black for intravenous administration, green for intramuscular routes, and purple for intranasal administration.

During the 12-month evaluation period, we did not encounter any medication-related errors.

What next?

The development of pharmacological cards has helped to standardise practices and simplify the prescription, preparation, and administration of commonly used drugs in paediatric emergency situations. The protocolisation and implementation of this tool have enhanced drug safety in emergency scenarios by reducing human errors and minimising medication-related harm.

Author(s)

Ruth Borchers, Linda Krampe, Andreas Fischer, Christian Thomas, Holger Knoth

Why was it done?

The aim of this study was to identify the clinical pharmacy services where the integrating of pharmacy technicians have the biggest impact to avoid drug-related problems.

What was done?

In the field of clinical pharmacy services there are activities that are suitable for pharmacy technicians under the supervision of a pharmacist. At the university hospital in Dresden one full-time pharmacist and one half-time pharmacy technician (4h/d) are looking after 80 beds in the department of urology. The main tasks of the pharmacy technician are medication reconciliation as well as clinical prioritisation by using guidelines to identify patients who are at high risk of drug-related problems.

How was it done?

Since 2019 the pharmacy technician is recording the interventions in a categorical excel sheet, there are two documentation weeks per quarter. The categories are drug name, short description of the drug related problem, intervention, classification (dose-related problems, consultation of general practitioner, consultation of patient, electronic prescription, other drug-related problems after discussion with the pharmacist, drug substitution).

What has been achieved?

During 22 documentation weeks from 01/2019 till 09/2020 the pharmacy technician documented 468 interventions. The main interventions are drug substitution on admission considering local guidelines (n=181; 39%), consultation of the general practitioner because of identified discrepancies on the medicine lists (n=138; 29%) and consultation of patients because of identified discrepancies (n=78; 17%). Dose-related interventions and other drug-related problems are detected by the pharmacy technician and discussed with doctors under the supervision of the pharmacist (n=49; 10%).

What next?

Especially in the field of medication reconciliation trained pharmacy technicians can be suitable to prevent drug-related problems. The consultation of general practitioners and patients because of identified discrepancies on the medication lists are time-intensive and probably would not happen in the same way without integration of the pharmacy technician. The drug substitution in consideration of local guidelines and the preparation of the electronic prescription lead to fewer queries from nurses or doctors.
Further research should focus on the quality of pharmaceutical interventions conducted by pharmacy technicians under the supervision of pharmacists.

Author(s)

Nicolas Sagaria, Daniele Mengato

Why was it done?

Dysphagia is a swallowing disorder more common in the elderly. The pharmaceutical market is not always able to meet the needs of dysphagic patients and manipulation of a medication is sometimes the only possible way to ensure its administration. This activity is often delegated to nurses or other professionals without the necessary education.

What was done?

The manipulation of solid oral pharmaceutical forms, such as tablets or capsules, is such a common act that it is sometimes regarded superficially. In order to guide the clinical pharmacist in assessing the crushability of a tablet, we designed, and validated through an on-field application, a decision-making algorithm.

How was it done?

The first two steps of the algorithm help, respectively, to understand whether there are clear indications in the summary of product characteristics on how to manipulate the drug and/or whether there are alternatives on the market, other than the solid oral, suitable for administration to the dysphagic patient. When neither of these steps is feasible, the pharmacist is guided towards direct manipulation of the drug, supported by evidence in literature and study of excipients. If a solution cannot be found, the physician should be advised to consider a switch or a discontinuation of therapy. Finally, we tested the algorithm by including it in a medication review form in a otolaryngology-ENT department, where the incidence of dysphagic patients was higher.

What has been achieved?

In the second half of 2020, we analyzed 45 medrev forms filled out in the ENT-department. Each form contained an average of 2.8 drugs to be re-analyzed for the dysphagic patient. We applied our algorithm to a total of 123 drugs. For 101 (82%) of these, we provided precise information on the correct way to administer and manipulate the drug. For only 22 drugs, a discussion with the prescriber was necessary to identify an alternative. In this way we have improved patients’ and operators’ safety.

What next?

In the near future we will expand our test to other departments, not only surgical, and try to minimise the rate of drugs for which we could not provide information on manipulation. In addition, we are planning to develop a software to simplify the process.

Why was it done?

Falls in older people are a significant public health problem due to their high prevalence, the injuries they cause and the associated economic burden. They are often caused by multifactorial risks, being the Fall-Risk-Increasing-Drugs (FRIDs) one of the most significant ones. The aim of this initiative is to reduce FRIDs prescriptions among elderly at risk of falling, by assessing their individual Benefit-Risk Balance.

What was done?

A circuit was designed and implemented to review and optimize the medication of patients admitted to hospital after a fall.

How was it done?

On an everyday basis, the Health Management Unit of our tertiary university hospital sends a list of fall-related hospital admissions to the clinical pharmacists (CP), who review those patients’ medication and identify FRIDs (drugs affecting central nervous system, hypoglycemic/antihypertensive agents, among others). Electronic Health Records (EHR) are consulted to evaluate if medication could have had a role in those falls. When a patient’s medication is subject to any optimization, CP contact the referring physician to propose therapeutic modifications. This pharmacist-doctor communication is carried out during the hospitalization period in case of Internal Medicine admissions and by an administrative appointment with the primary care physician (PCP) when patients are admitted in other units, such as Traumatology or Neurosurgery. The PCP evaluates the medication review report attached by CP in patients’ EHR and modifies medication if necessary.

What has been achieved?

Between May and September 2021, 114 patients were admitted to hospital due to a fall. After excluding 10 institutionalized patients (pharmaceutical care provided by their own team), 6 patients having fallen after alcohol consumption or intentional drug overdose, and 7 palliative patients, the medication of 91 patients was reviewed. The mean age was 80 and the 64.8% were female. An average of 3 FRIDs was identified per patient. 52 pharmaceutical interventions were made, mainly dose reductions and FRIDs deprescribing suggestions.

What next?

This initiative is feasible and potentially beneficial for patients’ health care. Medication review leads to the identification of not only FRIDs, but also different drug related problems. We look forward to assessing the impact of our practice in terms of interventions accepted; drug-related negative outcomes avoided and decreased hospital readmissions.

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Author(s)

Arnaud Potier, Béatrice Demoré, Alexandre Dony, Emmanuelle Divoux, Emmanuelle Boschetti, Laure-Anne Arnoux, Cédric Dupont, Jean-Christophe Calvo, David Piney, Virginie Chopard, Nathalie Cretin, Edith Dufay

Why was it done?

Drug iatrogenia costs global health systems $52 billion annually. The third global patient safety challenge aims at reducing the global burden of iatrogenic medication-related harm by 50% within 5 years [1]. Pharmaceutical analysis is a fundamental activity, a regulatory obligation in many countries but remains a challenge. This practice is highly variable. A graphic definition of the target pharmaceutical analysis has been formalised in December 2017 which sets the basis for its digitalisation, effectively implemented since January 2019. The aim is to build a corpus of the most relevant PA to facilitate clinical pharmacist practice.

What was done?

A computerised clinical pharmacy tool is integrated into the health information system of our group of hospitals (5000 beds) to promote efficiency of pharmaceutical analysis in order to improve patient safety. Pharmaceutical algorithms (PA) are conceptualised to improve drug related problems (DRP) detection and their resolution through pharmaceutical intervention (PI) according to a defined conduct to be held: anamnesis of subjective and objective elements of appreciation, DRP characterisation and PI transmission. Pharmaceutical analysis is performed by the use of PharmaClass® (Keenturtle). This software has been interfaced with 5 health data flow of two health facilities (1000 of the 2000 beds were tested): identity and patient flow, medication data, laboratory results examination, medical history, physiological constants. PA are partially encoded as rules in Pharmaclass® that issues alerts analysed by a pharmacist.

How was it done?

Health data are lacking of semantic interoperability which Pharmaclass® aims at overcoming from Electronical health record (EHR) queries in real time. A corpus of PA has been structured integrating the conduct to be held. PA were created by modeling the pharmaceutical experiment with the thread of criticality. PA were validated by consensus.

What has been achieved?

80 PA were encoded into Pharmaclass®: 40 are targeting serious adverse drug events. 1516 alerts were analysed and 539 PI transmitted during the 9-month test period.

What next?

This practice is applicable to any pharmaceutical analysis that uses data from an EHR. Clinical pharmacy societies should host and take care of updating corpus of PA. Its educational interest should be exploited. A European interest group for artificial intelligence in clinical pharmacy is being created.

Author(s)

Guillaume Wabont, Jean-Philippe Hammelin, Guénaëlle Faure, Cathy Debruille, Kévin Raynaud, Pascale Guillain

Why was it done?

Clinical pharmacists and nephrologists noticed a recurrence of rehospitalization of patients who recently underwent ileostomy because of prerenal acute kidney injury. Ileostomy tends to enhance dehydration, but in each case there was a drug that was exacerbating the phenomenon by inhibiting the RAAS. The digestive and urologic surgeons had no knowledge of such pathophysiology and iatrogenia, explaining why they continued to prescribe such drugs.

What was done?

We elaborated an internal guideline for the treatment of high blood pressure (HBP) in patients with ileostomy. We decided to contraindicate to those patients the inhibitors of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) or direct renin inhibitors (DRI); as well as the diuretics – even-though none of the summaries of the product characteristics (SmPC) of those drugs in question require such prohibition.
From now on, the drug(s) of the first line of treatment must be a beta-blocker and/or a calcic inhibitor. The drug(s) of the second line of treatment must be an alpha-blocker and/or an imidazoline-receptor agonist.

How was it done?

Therefore, we decided to set up a collective analysis of the situation with pharmacists, nephrologists and surgeons in digestive and urologic surgery, to understand the pathophysiology and to elaborate an internal guideline for HBP in patients with ileostomy.

The pharmacists first wrote a working paper retailing:
– the pathophysiology (water–electrolyte imbalance with ileostomy and deterioration under RAAS inhibitors or diuretic)
– the lack of information in the SmPC of the drugs in question
– an argued suggestion to contraindicate those drugs
– the therapeutic alternatives

Then we all met and exchanged views on the subject.

What has been achieved?

The guideline has been written in a collaborative and multi-disciplinary work. It applies to all the physicians and pharmacists of the hospital who have been informed of our approach and they have received a copy of it.

What next?

We will evaluate the respect of the guideline in our hospital as well as its impact in the lowering of the rehospitalization rate of patients who recently underwent ileostomy.
We will notify our national agency for medicines of our procedure because we think it should be a national standard.