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Drugs - Real World Outcomes
Published in: Drugs - Real World Outcomes 4/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Original Research Article

Drug Utilisation Patterns in Children Admitted to a Paediatric General Medical Ward in Five Countries

Authors: Asia N. Rashed, Ian C. K. Wong, Lynda Wilton, Stephen Tomlin, Antje Neubert

Published in: Drugs - Real World Outcomes | Issue 4/2015

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Abstract

Objective

To investigate and compare drug prescription patterns in children admitted to a paediatric general medical ward in five countries.

Methods

A prospective cohort study conducted on paediatric medical wards in the UK, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong (HK) and Malaysia. Data were collected over 3 months in each country except in Australia (1 month). All medications prescribed were classified according to the WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification. For each drug, frequency of prescriptions and patient exposures were calculated for ATC anatomical and therapeutic levels overall and by country.

Results

One thousand two hundred and seventy-eight patients were included (Australia 146, Germany 376, UK 313, HK 143 and Malaysia 300); 89.2 % of patients (1140) received medications, median 3 (interquartile range 2–5) drugs per patient. 5367 drugs were prescribed. The most frequently prescribed therapeutic groups in all countries were: systemic antibacterials (1355; 25.2 %), analgesics/non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (1173; 21.8 %) and drugs for obstructive airway diseases (472; 8.8 %). Overall, 65.1 % (742) of patients received at least one systemic antibacterial, 63.7 % (726) received one or more analgesic/NSAIDs, and 23.6 % (269) received ‘drugs for obstructive airway diseases’. The number of patients exposed to these groups differed significantly between countries (p < 0.05). Paracetamol was the most frequently prescribed in all countries, but metamizole was only used in Germany. Morphine was mainly prescribed in the UK.

Conclusion

This study provides an overview of drug use patterns in five culturally and ethnically diverse countries. The most frequently used therapeutic groups were similar, but the proportion of patients treated differed between countries. Also within a therapeutic group the specific drug used varied between countries.
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Metadata
Title
Drug Utilisation Patterns in Children Admitted to a Paediatric General Medical Ward in Five Countries
Authors
Asia N. Rashed
Ian C. K. Wong
Lynda Wilton
Stephen Tomlin
Antje Neubert
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Drugs - Real World Outcomes / Issue 4/2015
Print ISSN: 2199-1154
Electronic ISSN: 2198-9788
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40801-015-0049-y

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