Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety
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Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf · Feb 2012
Utilisation of transdermal fentanyl in Germany from 2004 to 2006.
Oral morphine is the first-choice opioid for moderate to severe cancer pain. Transdermal fentanyl is an alternative in patients with stable requirements of high-potency opioids (HPO) or if drugs cannot be taken orally. Drug regulatory authorities have issued several alerts to use transdermal fentanyl only for chronic pain and in HPO-tolerant patients to minimise the risk of severe opioid side effects. The aim of this study was to characterise utilisation of transdermal fentanyl in Germany. ⋯ Transdermal fentanyl was used as a first-choice opioid, which may increase the risk of serious opioid side effects, in a substantial number of HPO-naïve patients. Inappropriate prescribing included also high initial doses in HPO-naïve patients and possible prescription for acute pain in a considerable proportion of patients.
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Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf · Jan 2012
Statin usage and all-cause and disease-specific mortality in a nationwide study.
The consumption of statins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) in most Western countries has increased to the extent that it may affect all-cause and disease-specific mortality. ⋯ In this nationwide study, long-term use of statins is associated with the reduction in CHD mortality.
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Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf · Jan 2012
ReviewA systematic review of validated methods for identifying pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease using administrative and claims data.
The Food and Drug Administration's Mini-Sentinel pilot program initially aimed to conduct active surveillance to refine safety signals that emerge for marketed medical products. A key facet of this surveillance is to develop and understand the validity of algorithms for identifying health outcomes of interest (HOIs) from administrative and claims data. This paper summarizes the process and findings of the algorithm review of pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease. ⋯ Research needs to be conducted on designing validation studies to test pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease algorithms and estimating their predictive power, sensitivity, and specificity.
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Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf · Jan 2012
ReviewA systematic review of validated methods for identifying transfusion-related ABO incompatibility reactions using administrative and claims data.
This paper aimed to systematically review algorithms to identify transfusion-related ABO incompatibility reactions in administrative data, with a focus on studies that have examined the validity of the algorithms. ⋯ There is no information to assess the validity of algorithms to identify transfusion-related ABO incompatibility reactions. Further information on the validity of algorithms to identify transfusions would also be useful.
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Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf · Jan 2012
ReviewA systematic review of validated methods for identifying transfusion-related sepsis using administrative and claims data.
To systematically review algorithms to identify transfusion-related sepsis or septicemia in administrative data, with a focus on studies that have examined the validity of the algorithms. ⋯ There is no information to assess the validity of algorithms to identify transfusion-related sepsis or septicemia. Codes to identify sepsis performed well in most studies. Algorithms to identify transfusions need further research that includes a broader range of transfusion types.