1. |
- Amundstuen Reppe, Linda, et al.
(author)
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Quality assessment of structure and language elements of written responses given by seven Scandinavian drug information centres
- 2017
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In: European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. - : SPRINGER HEIDELBERG. - 0031-6970 .- 1432-1041. ; 73:5, s. 623-631
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this study was to identify structure and language elements affecting the quality of responses from Scandinavian drug information centres (DICs). Six different fictitious drug-related queries were sent to each of seven Scandinavian DICs. The centres were blinded for which queries were part of the study. The responses were assessed qualitatively by six clinical pharmacologists (internal experts) and six general practitioners (GPs, external experts). In addition, linguistic aspects of the responses were evaluated by a plain language expert. The quality of responses was generally judged as satisfactory to good. Presenting specific advice and conclusions were considered to improve the quality of the responses. However, small nuances in language formulations could affect the individual judgments of the experts, e.g. on whether or not advice was given. Some experts preferred the use of primary sources to the use of secondary and tertiary sources. Both internal and external experts criticised the use of abbreviations, professional terminology and study findings that was left unexplained. The plain language expert emphasised the importance of defining and explaining pharmacological terms to ensure that enquirers understand the response as intended. In addition, more use of active voice and less compressed text structure would be desirable. This evaluation of responses to DIC queries may give some indications on how to improve written responses on drug-related queries with respect to language and text structure. Giving specific advice and precise conclusions and avoiding too compressed language and non-standard abbreviations may aid to reach this goal.
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2. |
- Amundstuen Reppe, Linda, et al.
(author)
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Relationship Between Time Consumption and Quality of Responses to Drug-related Queries: A Study From Seven Drug Information Centers in Scandinavia
- 2016
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In: Clinical Therapeutics. - : ELSEVIER. - 0149-2918 .- 1879-114X. ; 38:7, s. 1738-1749
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: The aims of this study were to assess the quality of responses produced by drug information centers (DICs) in Scandinavia, and to study the association between time consumption processing queries and the quality of the responses. Methods: We posed six identical drug-related queries to seven DICs in Scandinavia, and the time consumption required for processing them was estimated. Clinical pharmacologists (internal experts) and general practitioners (external experts) reviewed responses individually. We used mixed model linear regression analyses to study the associations between time consumption on one hand and the summarized quality scores and the overall impression of the responses on the other hand. Findings: Both expert groups generally assessed the quality of the responses as "satisfactory" to "good." A few responses were criticized for being poorly synthesized and less relevant, of which none were quality-assured using co-signatures. For external experts, an increase in time consumption was statistically significantly associated with a decrease in common quality score (change in score, -0.20 per hour of work; 95% CI, -0.33 to -0.06; P = 0.004), and overall impression (change in score, -0.05 per hour of work; 95% CI, -0.08 to -0.01; P = 0.005). No such associations were found for the internal experts assessment. Implications: To our knowledge, this is the first study of the association between time consumption and quality of responses to drug-related queries in DICs. The quality of responses were in general good, but time consumption and quality were only weakly associated in this setting. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier HS Journals, Inc.
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3. |
- Andersson, Marine L., et al.
(author)
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Evaluation of usage patterns and user perception of the drug-drug interaction database SFINX
- 2015
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In: International Journal of Medical Informatics. - : Elsevier. - 1386-5056 .- 1872-8243. ; 84:5, s. 327-333
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate how prescribers and pharmacists use and perceive the drug-drug interaction database SFINX in their clinical work. Methods: A questionnaire was developed with questions aimed at the usage of SFINX, and the perceptions of the database. The questionnaire was sent out to all registered users of the web application of SFINX. The anonymous answers from the target users, prescribers and pharmacists were summarized using descriptive statistics. Statistical analysis was performed on age and gender differences for some questions regarding different usage patterns. Results: The questionnaire was sent to 11,763 registered SFINX users. The response rate was 23%, including 1871 answers from prescribers or pharmacists. SFINX was reported to be used at least weekly or more often by 45% of the prescribers and 51% of the pharmacists. Many prescribers reported using the database during the patient consultation (60%) or directly before or after (56%). Among the prescribers, 74% reported that the information received made them change their action at least sometimes. About 20% of the prescribers and 25% of the pharmacists considered the information as irrelevant sometimes or more often. Conclusion: Most prescribers and pharmacists reported using SFINX in direct association with a patient consultation. Information received by using SFINX makes prescribers and pharmacists change their handling of patients. DDI databases with relevant information about patient handling might improve drug treatment outcome. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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4. |
- Andersson, Marine L, et al.
(author)
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High Prevalence of Drug-Drug Interactions in Primary Health Care is Caused by Prescriptions from other Healthcare Units.
- 2018
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In: Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology. - : Wiley. - 1742-7835 .- 1742-7843. ; 122:5, s. 512-516
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Drug-drug interactions are increasingly common, as patients are getting older and the number of drugs per patient is increasing. In this study, we investigated to which extent potential drug-drug interactions originated from single or multiple prescribers. All patients attending any of 20 primary healthcare centres were included in a retrospective observational cohort study. Data on all prescriptions to these patients, irrespectively of the prescriber, were collected for two 4-month periods. Potential drug interactions were identified using the drug-drug interaction database SFINX. Interactions were classified with respect to the workplace of the prescriber, and the prevalence of interactions according to origin was analysed. We found that the drug interactions were significantly more common when the drugs were prescribed from different healthcare centres, compared with drugs prescribed from the patients' primary healthcare centre only. One explanation for this increased risk of drug interactions could be that the prescribers at different primary healthcare centres do not share the same information concerning the total medication list of the patient.
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5. |
- Brinkman, D. J., et al.
(author)
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Essential Competencies in Prescribing: A First European Cross-Sectional Study Among 895 Final-Year Medical Students
- 2017
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In: Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. - : WILEY-BLACKWELL. - 0009-9236 .- 1532-6535. ; 101:2, s. 281-289
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- European medical students should have acquired adequate prescribing competencies before graduation, but it is not known whether this is the case. In this international multicenter study, we evaluated the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) of final-year medical students across Europe. In a cross-sectional design, 26 medical schools from 17 European countries were asked to administer a standardized assessment and questionnaire to 50 final-year students. Although there were differences between schools, our results show an overall lack of essential prescribing competencies among final-year students in Europe. Students had a poor knowledge of drug interactions and contraindications, and chose inappropriate therapies for common diseases or made prescribing errors. Our results suggest that undergraduate teaching in CPT is inadequate in many European schools, leading to incompetent prescribers and potentially unsafe patient care. A European core curriculum with clear learning outcomes and assessments should be urgently developed.
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6. |
- Böttiger, Ylva, et al.
(author)
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Development and pilot testing of PHARAO-a decision support system for pharmacological risk assessment in the elderly
- 2018
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In: European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. - : SPRINGER HEIDELBERG. - 0031-6970 .- 1432-1041. ; 74:3, s. 365-371
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aims of this study are to describe the development of PHARAO (Pharmacological Risk Assessment Online), a decision support system providing a risk profile for adverse events, associated with combined effects of multiple medicines, and to present data from a pilot study, testing the use, functionality, and acceptance of the PHARAO system in a clinical setting. About 1400 substances were scored in relation to their risk to cause any of nine common and/or serious adverse effects. Algorithms for each adverse effect score were developed to create individual risk profiles from the patients list of medication. The system was tested and integrated to the electronic medical record, during a 4-month period in two geriatric wards and three primary healthcare centers, and a questionnaire was answered by the users before and after the test period. A total of 732 substances were tagged with one or more of the nine risks, most commonly with the risk of sedation or seizures. During the pilot, the system was used 933 times in 871 patients. The most common signals generated by PHARAO in these patients were related to the risks of constipation, sedation, and bleeding. A majority of responders considered PHARAO easy to use and that it gives useful support in performing medication reviews. The PHARAO decision support system, designed as a complement to a database on drug-drug interactions used nationally, worked as intended and was appreciated by the users during a 4-month test period. Integration aspects need to be improved to minimize unnecessary signaling.
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7. |
- Böttiger, Ylva, 1965-
(author)
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Förskrivningsrätt bör kopplas till nationell läkemedelsexamen [The license to prescribe should be linked to a national examination]
- 2020
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In: Läkartidningen. - Stockholm, Sweden : Sveriges Läkarförbund. - 0023-7205 .- 1652-7518. ; 117
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The prescription of medicines is one of the most common acts performed by physicians. Yet, several studies have shown that junior doctors are not well prepared for the task. The teaching of basic and clinical pharmacology varies greatly between universities, both within Sweden and in Europe. National prescribing exams have been introduced in the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium, and there is an on-going project to develop a European exam, focusing on a list of essential medicines and patient safety. With the new six year curriculum for medical education in Sweden, the license to prescribe could be linked to a national prescribing exam, to ensure good knowledge of both therapeutics and Swedish drug regulation.
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8. |
- Böttiger, Ylva
(author)
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Metabolic drug interactions in man : methodological aspects on in vivo studies
- 2000
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The aim of this thesis was to investigate methodological aspects on in vivo metabolic drug interaction studies in man. Five pharmacokinetic studies in healthy persons or patients are presented. Together, they represent a set of model studies to evaluate the occurrence of, and extent of metabolic drug interactions in vivo. They are all based on previous in vitro findings, and were designed to take advantage of the current knowledge concerning specificity and selectivity of drug metabolising enzymes and interindividual differences in drug metabolising capacity. A special focus was the study of omeprazole as a probe for, and ketoconazole as an inhibitor of the CYP3A4 enzyme. Ketoconazole (repeated doses) markedly inhibited the CYP3A4 mediated sulphoxidation of omeprazole (single doses) in a dose-dependant manner, in both extensive and poor hydroxylators (CYP2C19) of omeprazole. This study confirms that omeprazole sulphoxidation is the main metabolic pathway in individuals devoid of CYP2C19 activity, and shows that these subjects develop very high omeprazole concentrations during ketoconazole co-administration. Tolterodine, which is mainly metabolised by CYP2D6, was given in repeated doses to both poor and extensive metabolisers (CYP2D6), but did not influence the metabolism (as indicated by metabolite ratios) of single doses of the probe drugs debrisoquine (CYP2D6), omeprazole (CYP2C19 and CYP3A4) or caffeine (CYP1A2), given on three consecutive days. Tolterodine is thus unlikely to inhibit the metabolism of drugs eliminated via these enzymes. Data from the above studies, together with data from two other omeprazole studies, support the use of omeprazole as a probe for the evaluation of CYP3A4 activity, as well as its previously suggested use as a probe for CYP2C19. Fluvoxamine (a CYP1A2 inhibitor), but not ketoconazole, had a significant effect on the clearance of intravenously administered ropivacaine. This study confirms in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetic findings indicating CYP1A2 as the most important enzyme in ropivacaine metabolism, and shows that CYP1A2 inhibitors may cause clinically relevant interactions with ropivacaine. Concomitant administration of single doses of sirolimus and diltiazem lead to increased sirolimus exposure in 16 out of 18 subjects, presumably by inhibition of intestinal CYP3A4 and/or P-glycoprotein. This interaction needs further evaluation during steady-state conditions, but does point to the possibility of other CYP3A4 inhibitors interacting with sirolimus. Lamotrigine drug interactions were studied in a therapeutic drug monitoring material including 104 patients. A widespread intra- and interindividual variation in the concentration/dose ratio for lamotrigine could largely be explained by pharmacokinetic interactions with phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital (all three inducing lamotrigine metabolism) and valproic acid (an inhibitor of lamotrigine glucuronidation). The systematic knowledge concerning drug metabolising pathways and mechanisms of metabolic drug interactions is growing. Effective and informative in vitro studies are already in use, and are also being continuously developed. So far, there is no universally reliable method to extrapolate in vitro findings to in vivo clinical conditions. However, with the current knowledge of drug metabolism and a base of in vitro study methods, it is possible to use a confined number of well designed interaction studies in vivo, with specific and selective inhibitors and probe drugs in appropriate doses, given to panels of extensive and poor metabolisers. Such studies, in combination with routine evaluation of data from therapeutic drug monitoring, as exemplified in this work, can provide clinically useful information concerning pharmacokinetic drug interactions, leading to safer, better individualised and more cost-effective drug treatment.
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9. |
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10. |
- Chermá Yeste, Maria Dolores, 1961-
(author)
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Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Psychiatry : Some aspects of utility in clinical practice and research
- 2009
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Background and objectives: Several new psychoactive drugs for the treatment of psychiatric disorders have been introduced onto the market since the late 1980s. Basic aspects of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics (PK) are investigated before approval for general prescription. Thus, a limited number of subjects are exposed to the drug before it is marketed and only sparse measurements of drug concentration are performed during phases II and III of drug development. The objective of this thesis was to provide further descriptive PK and linked patients data in naturalistic clinical settings. The PK of psychoactive drugs was also studied in the elderly and the young, major risk groups that are exposed in normal everyday clinical practice but that are underrepresented in the phases of drug development. The PK-data were to be assessed by samples sent to the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) laboratory service. In a subset of individuals, the genotypes of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes were described.Results: Serum concentration of the parent compound and its metabolites was provided from TDM-data on antidepressant escitalopram (Paper I) and antipsychotic ziprasidone (Paper II). A large interindividual PK variability was found. The daily dose of the drug was higher than the defined daily dose (DDD) for both escitalopram and ziprasidone (median dose 20 mg and 120 mg, respectively). The median number of drugs per patient, apart from the studied drug, was 4 and 3, respectively (range 1-18). If repeated eligible TDM-data were available, change in treatment strategies could be seen between the first and second sample for the patient, and the metabolite/parent compound (M/P) ratio had lower intraindividual than interindividual variation in the escitalopram study but opposite results were found in the ziprasidone study.The prescription of antidepressant drugs (ADs) in the nursing homes studied was 38 % (Paper III). The concentration of the ADs was higher, or much higher, than could be expected from the dose administered in 73 %. The majority of the elderly people were treated with citalopram. No clear time schedule for how long the drug treatment should continue was found in the patients’ current medical record. The median number of drugs per patient apart from the AD was 11 (range 4-19), no monotherapy was found in these patients. The genetically impaired metabolic activity of CYP enzymes correlated to higher drug concentration as expected, in patients medicated with an AD that is substrate for the CYP enzyme genotype.The concentrations of ADs were as expected from the dose administered in 63 % of the children/adolescents evaluated (Paper IV). The majority of TDM samples requested sertraline. PK outcome of sertraline was similar to the results in adult populations. Monotherapy was documented in 49 % (median number of drugs apart from AD was 1 per patient, range 1-7). Changes in treatment strategies were also shown, if repeated TDM-samples were available. The median variation of the M/P ratio for sertraline between the first and the last samples within the same patient was 20 % (the interindividual variation was 37 %). The poor metabolizers (PM) for CYP2D6 medicated with a CYP2D6 substrate had a lower dose than did non-PM for the same drug.Conclusion: These studies provide reference data for the evaluation of the therapeutic response, i.e. a reference range of what is to be expected in a normal clinical setting, as well as the toxicological information concerning the psychoactive drugs studied. When available, the M/P ratio between two patients’ samples may assess patient compliance, as well as drug-drug interactions. Thus, the use of TDM can be beneficial for individual dose optimisation and drug safety, above all in the studied populations, elderly people and children/adolescents, when the selection of doses requires a consideration of PK parameters. TDM may be a tool for research, increasing knowledge of the psychoactive drug in TDM service, as well as toxicology. A more frequent clinical use of TDM and pharmacogenetic testing in clinical practice would contribute to a better quality when treating with psychoactive drugs.
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11. |
- Coleman, Jamie J., et al.
(author)
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The European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics25years young and going strong
- 2019
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In: European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. - : SPRINGER HEIDELBERG. - 0031-6970 .- 1432-1041. ; 75:6, s. 743-750
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Clinical pharmacology as a scientific discipline and medical specialty was unarguably born in the twentieth century. Whilst pharmacologythe science behind the treatment of diseasehad been in evolution since at least medieval times, the clinical discipline of pharmacology has had a more recent genesis and rather insidious evolution. During the 1900s, there were some clear father (parent) figures of clinical pharmacology in Europe that emerged and were responsible for the development of the specialty in this continent. This was a time when there were parallel developments in geographically dispersed academic departments (around the globe), during an age of excitement in drug discovery and clinical application of new therapeutic agents. It was the meeting of minds of some of these progenitors of the specialty that led to the development of the European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (EACPT) 25years ago arising from a working party supported by the World Health Organization in Europe. The EACPT now includes all major national organizations for clinical pharmacology in Europe, representing over 4000 individual professionals interested in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics. The EACPT has a major interest in promoting the safe use of medicines across Europe and internationally and has supported these aims since 1995, through biennial international scientific congresses and summer schools with delegates and presenters from around the world as well as various working group activities. In this article, the current executive committee members of EACPT recall this history, describe the evolution of the association over the last quarter of a century, and provide an update on the activities and ambitions of the association today.
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12. |
- Donker, Erik, et al.
(author)
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European List of Essential Medicines for Medical Education : a protocol for a modified Delphi study
- 2021
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In: BMJ Open. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2044-6055. ; 11:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction Junior doctors are responsible for a substantial number of prescribing errors, and final-year medical students lack sufficient prescribing knowledge and skills just before they graduate. Various national and international projects have been initiated to reform the teaching of clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CP&T) during undergraduate medical training. However, there is as yet no list of commonly prescribed and available medicines that European doctors should be able to independently prescribe safely and effectively without direct supervision. Such a list could form the basis for a European Prescribing Exam and would harmonise European CP&T education. Therefore, the aim of this study is to reach consensus on a list of widely prescribed medicines, available in most European countries, that European junior doctors should be able to independently prescribe safely and effectively without direct supervision: the European List of Essential Medicines for Medical Education. Methods and analysis This modified Delphi study will recruit European CP&T teachers (expert group). Two Delphi rounds will be carried out to enable a list to be drawn up of medicines that are available in >= 80% of European countries, which are considered standard prescribing practice, and which junior doctors should be able to prescribe safely and effectively without supervision. Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Review Committee of VU University Medical Center (no. 2020.335) and by the Ethical Review Board of the Netherlands Association for Medical Education (approved project no. NVMO-ERB 2020.4.8). The European List of Essential Medicines for Medical Education will be presented at national and international conferences and will be submitted to international peer-reviewed journals. It will also be used to develop and implement the European Prescribing Exam.
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13. |
- Donker, Erik M., et al.
(author)
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The European List of Key Medicines for Medical Education: A Modified Delphi Study
- 2024
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In: Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. - : WILEY. - 0009-9236 .- 1532-6535. ; 115:3, s. 515-524
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rational prescribing is essential for the quality of health care. However, many final-year medical students and junior doctors lack prescribing competence to perform this task. The availability of a list of medicines that a junior doctor working in Europe should be able to independently prescribe safely and effectively without supervision could support and harmonize teaching and training in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) in Europe. Therefore, our aim was to achieve consensus on such a list of medicines that are widely accessible in Europe. For this, we used a modified Delphi study method consisting of three parts. In part one, we created an initial list based on a literature search. In part two, a group of 64 coordinators in CPT education, selected via the Network of Teachers in Pharmacotherapy of the European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, evaluated the accessibility of each medicine in his or her country, and provided a diverse group of experts willing to participate in the Delphi part. In part three, 463 experts from 24 European countries were invited to participate in a 2-round Delphi study. In total, 187 experts (40%) from 24 countries completed both rounds and evaluated 416 medicines, 98 of which were included in the final list. The top three Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical code groups were (1) cardiovascular system (n = 23), (2) anti-infective (n = 21), and (3) musculoskeletal system (n = 11). This European List of Key Medicines for Medical Education could be a starting point for country-specific lists and could be used for the training and assessment of CPT.
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14. |
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15. |
- Ekman, Agneta, et al.
(author)
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Läkemedelsarbete behöver vara integrerat i klinisk utbildning [Preparing for the licence to prescribe in medical school - a questionnaire study on medical students professional confidence in the art of prescribing]
- 2019
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In: Läkartidningen. - Stockholm, Sweden : Sveriges Läkarförbund. - 0023-7205 .- 1652-7518. ; 116
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A prerequisite for rational use of medicines is adequate prescribing skills; drug treatment is a complex task requiring diagnostic competence combined with pharmacologic knowledge and patient communication skills. Acquiring professional confidence in the art of prescribing is essential during medical training. The results of this questionnaire study, conducted in four medical schools in Sweden after the course in internal medicine (252 respondents; response rate: 74%; median age: 24 years, 61% female), show that 45% and 62% were confident in performing medication reviews and writing medication summary reports, respectively, i.e. the basics of prescribing. The confidence increased by the number of reviews and reports performed, i.e. the extent of practice (correlation coefficients: 0.41 and 0.38, respectively, both pamp;lt;0.0001), as did the extent of the students reflection on important aspects of drug treatment such as adherence, adverse reactions, renal function, dosing, and drug interactions. In multivariate regression analyses, major predictors for confidence in performing medication reviews were extent of practice and extent of clinical supervision. The results suggest that these factors are keys to acquiring professional confidence in the art of prescribing.
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16. |
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17. |
- Eriksson, Anna-Lena, 1971, et al.
(author)
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[Preparing for the licence to prescribe in medical school - a questionnaire study on medical students professional confidence in the art of prescribing]. : Läkemedelsarbete behöver vara integrerat i klinisk utbildning - Att göra många läkemedelsgenomgångar ökar trygghet och reflektion över patientens behandling, visar enkätstudie.
- 2019
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In: Lakartidningen. - 1652-7518. ; 116
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A prerequisite for rational use of medicines is adequate prescribing skills; drug treatment isa complex task requiring diagnostic competence combined with pharmacologic knowledge and patient communication skills.Acquiring professional confidence in the art of prescribing is essential during medical training.The results of this questionnaire study, conducted in four medical schools in Sweden after the course in internal medicine (252 respondents; response rate: 74%; median age: 24 years, 61% female), show that 45% and 62% were confident in performing medication reviews and writing medication summary reports, respectively, i.e. the basics of prescribing. The confidence increased by the number of reviews and reports performed, i.e. the extent of practice (correlation coefficients: 0.41 and 0.38, respectively, both p<0.0001), as did the extent of the students' reflection on important aspects of drug treatment such as adherence, adverse reactions, renal function, dosing, and drug interactions. In multivariate regression analyses, major predictors for confidence in performing medication reviews were extent of practice and extent of clinical supervision. The results suggest that these factors are keys to acquiring professional confidence in the art of prescribing.
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18. |
- Ginstman, Charlotte, 1975-, et al.
(author)
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Pharmacokinetics of Oral Levonorgestrel in Women After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery and in BMI-Matched Controls
- 2020
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In: Obesity Surgery. - : Springer. - 0960-8923 .- 1708-0428. ; 30:6, s. 2217-2224
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Women are advised to primarily use non-oral contraceptive alternatives after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass since it is not known if the surgery affects the pharmacokinetics of oral contraceptives.Methods: This is a multi-center, open label, phase 2 pharmacokinetic study performed at the University Hospital of Linkoping and the Clinical Trials Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Fifteen women aged 18-40 years who had previously undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery and reached a BMI < 30 were included. Fifteen BMI-matched women with no previous history of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery served as a control group. After administration of a single dose of a combined oral contraceptive containing 0.03 mg ethinylestradiol/0.15 mg levonorgestrel, serum levonorgestrel concentrations were determined during a 24-h period using ultra performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. The area under the plasma concentration time curve of levonorgestrel (AUC(0-24h)) was the main outcome measure.Results: There were no significant differences in the studied pharmacokinetic parameters, AUC(0-24h), total AUC, peak serum concentration (C-max), time to peak serum concentrations (T-max), apparent oral clearances of levonorgestrel (CLoral), or terminal half-lives (t1/2) between the groups.Conclusion: This is to our knowledge the first study to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of oral levonorgestrel in women with a BMI < 30 at least 1 year after RYGB compared with a BMI-matched group of women. We could not find any significant pharmacokinetic differences between the groups, suggesting that oral levonorgestrel may be used in non-obese women after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass once a stable body weight has been reached.
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19. |
- Hedna, Khedidja, 1978, et al.
(author)
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Clinical relevance of alerts from a decision support system, PHARAO, for drug safety assessment in the older adults
- 2019
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In: BMC Geriatrics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2318. ; 19:1, s. 164-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundPHARAO is a decision support system developed to evaluate the risk for a set of either common or serious side-effects resulting from a combination of pharmacodynamic effects from a patient's medications. The objective of this study was to investigate the validity of the risk scores for the common side-effects generated by PHARAO in older patients.MethodsSide-effects included were sedation, constipation, orthostatic symptoms, anticholinergic and serotonergic effects. The alerts generated by PHARAO were tested in 745 persons 65years old. Dispensed prescriptions retrieved from the Swedish prescribed drug register were used to generate the pharmacological risk scores of patients' medications. Symptoms possibly related to side-effects were extracted from medical records data.ResultsThe PHARAO system generated 776 alerts, most often for the risk of anticholinergic symptoms. The total specificity estimates of the PHARAO system were 0.95, 0.89 and 0.78 for high, intermediate and low risk alerts, respectively. The corresponding sensitivity estimates were between 0.12 and 0.37. The negative predictive value was 0.90 and the positive predictive value ranged between 0.20-0.25.ConclusionsThe PHARAO system had a high specificity and negative predictive value to detect symptoms possibly associated with the of patients' medications, while the sensitivity and positive predictive value were low. The PHARAO system has the potential to minimise the risk of over-alerts in combination with a drug-drug interaction alert system, but should be used in connection with a medical evaluation of the patient.
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20. |
- Hoffmann, Mikael, 1960-, et al.
(author)
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Nationell process för värdering av off label-användning behövs
- 2020
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In: Läkartidningen. - Stockholm, Sweden : Sveriges Läkarförbund. - 0023-7205 .- 1652-7518. ; 117
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Läkemedelsverket rapporterar att man inte, utifrån sitt etablerade arbetssätt, kan genomföra nytta–riskvärdering av läkemedel utanför godkänd indikation. Sjukvården har ett behov av en nationell process för värdering av off label-användning av vissa läkemedel. Sjukvården behöver också fler och innovativa akademiskt drivna läkemedelsstudier.
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21. |
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22. |
- Marcusson, Jan, et al.
(author)
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Proactive healthcare for frail elderly persons : study protocol for a prospective controlled primary care intervention in Sweden
- 2019
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In: BMJ Open. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2044-6055. ; 9:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction The provision of healthcare services is not dedicated to promoting maintenance of function and does not target frail older persons at high risk of the main causes of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of a proactive medical and social intervention in comparison with conventional care on a group of persons aged 75 and older selected by statistical prediction.Methods and analysis In a pragmatic multicentre primary care setting (n=1600), a prediction model to find elderly (75+) persons at high risk of complex medical care or hospitalisation is used, followed by proactive medical and social care, in comparison with usual care. The study started in April 2017 with a run-in period until December 2017, followed by a 2-year continued intervention phase that will continue until the end of December 2019. The intervention includes several tools (multiprofessional team for rehabilitation, social support, medical care home visits and telephone support). Primary outcome measures are healthcare cost, number of hospital care episodes, hospital care days and mortality. Secondary outcome measures are number of outpatient visits, cost of social care and informal care, number of prescribed drugs, health-related quality of life, cost-effectiveness, sense of security, functional status and ability. We also study the care of elderly persons in a broader sense, by covering the perspectives of the patients, the professional staff and the management, and on a political level, by using semistructured interviews, qualitative methods and a questionnaire.Ethics and dissemination Approved by the regional ethical review board in Linköping (Dnr 2016/347-31). The results will be presented in scientific journals and scientific meetings during 2019–2022 and are planned to be used for the development of future care models.
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23. |
- Navér, Lars, et al.
(author)
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Prophylaxis and treatment of HIV-1 infection in pregnancy: Swedish recommendations 2013.
- 2014
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In: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1651-1980 .- 0036-5548. ; 46:6, s. 401-11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Prophylaxis and treatment with antiretroviral drugs and elective caesarean section delivery have resulted in very low mother-to-child transmission of HIV during recent years. Updated general treatment guidelines and increasing knowledge about mother-to-child transmission have necessitated regular revisions of the recommendations for the prophylaxis and treatment of HIV-1 infection in pregnancy. The Swedish Reference Group for Antiviral Therapy (RAV) updated the recommendations from 2010 at an expert meeting on 11 September 2013. The most important revisions are the following: (1) ongoing efficient treatment at confirmed pregnancy may, with a few exceptions, be continued; (2) if treatment is initiated during pregnancy, the recommended first-line therapy is essentially the same as for non-pregnant women; (3) raltegravir may be added to achieve rapid reduction in HIV RNA; (4) vaginal delivery is recommended if at > 34 gestational weeks and HIV RNA is < 50 copies/ml and no obstetric contraindications exist; (5) if HIV RNA is < 50 copies/ml and delivery is at > 34 gestational weeks, intravenous zidovudine is not recommended regardless of the delivery mode; (6) if HIV RNA is > 50 copies/ml close to delivery, it is recommended that the mother should undergo a planned caesarean section, intravenous zidovudine, and oral nevirapine, and the infant should receive single-dose nevirapine at 48-72 h of age and post-exposure prophylaxis with 2 drugs; (7) if delivery is preterm at < 34 gestational weeks, a caesarean section delivery should if possible be performed, with intravenous zidovudine and oral nevirapine given to the mother, and single-dose nevirapine given to the infant at 48-72 h of age, as well as post-exposure prophylaxis with 2 additional drugs.
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24. |
- Schjøtt, Jan, et al.
(author)
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Use of References in Responses from Scandinavian Drug Information Centres
- 2018
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In: Medicines (Basel, Switzerland). - : MDPI. - 2305-6320. ; 5:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The aim of this study was to compare use of references in responses from Scandinavian drug information centres (DICs). Methods: Six different fictitious drug-related queries were sent to each of seven Scandinavian DICs. The six queries concerned adverse effects, pharmacokinetics, pregnancy, complementary medicine, polypharmacy, and breast feeding. References in the responses were categorised into five types of drug information sources: primary (original studies), secondary (reviews), tertiary (drug monographs, handbooks, etc.), DIC database, or personal communication. Results: Two hundred and forty-four references were used in the 42 responses. The mean number of references varied from 3.0 to 10.6 for the six queries. The largest difference between centres with regard to number of references used (range 1?17) was found for the query on complementary medicine. In total, 124 references (50.8%) were tertiary, and only 10 of the 42 responses (23.8%) did not have any tertiary references included. Complementary medicine, breast feeding, and pregnancy were query types associated with relatively frequent use of primary references. Use of DIC database was not uncommon, but personal communications were seldom used. Conclusions: Scandinavian DICs differ substantially in number and type of references to identical drug-related queries. Tertiary sources are mainly preferred irrespective of type of query.
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25. |
- Soderman, Lisa, et al.
(author)
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Adjuvant use of melatonin for pain management in endometriosis-associated pelvic pain-A randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial
- 2023
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In: PLOS ONE. - : PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. - 1932-6203. ; 18:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Considering the pharmacological treatment options for endometriosis-associated pain are confined to hormonal therapy and analgesics, we studied the analgesic effect of 20 mg melatonin as an adjuvant therapy in women with endometriosis-associated pain. This randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at the Research Center for Womens Health at Sodersjukhuset, a university hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. Forty women from 18 to 50 years of age with endometriosis and severe dysmenorrhea with or without chronic pelvic pain were given 20 mg Melatonin or placebo orally daily for two consecutive menstrual cycles or months. The level of pain was recorded daily on the 11-point numeric rating scale, a difference of 1.3 units was considered clinically significant. Clincaltrials.gov nr NCT03782740. Sixteen participants completed the study in the placebo group and 18 in the melatonin group. The difference in endometriosis-associated pain between the groups showed to be non-significant statistically as well as clinically, 2.9 (SD 1.9) in the melatonin group and 3.3 (SD 2.0) in the placebo group, p = 0.45. This randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial could not show that 20 mg of melatonin given orally at bedtime had better analgesic effect on endometriosis-associated pain compared with placebo. No adverse effects were observed.
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