The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7196 p624-625
4 May 2002

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Health Services Research and Pharmacy Practice summary

Target NSAIDs and aspirin to cut drug-related hospital admissions

Gastrointestinal bleeds in people on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and low-dose aspirin are a common and preventable cause of hospital admission, say researchers from Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham. Targeting GP prescribing of these drugs could have a significant impact on hospital admissions.

In a poster presentation, Rachel Taylor and colleagues described how medical admissions unit pharmacists had assessed patients admitted over a six-month period. Possible drug-related admissions were followed up, contacting patients and GPs for further details if necessary. Case reports were assessed by three independent assessors using pre-set criteria.

Data from nearly 4,000 patients had confirmed that 6.5 per cent of admissions to hospital medical wards are because of drug-related problems. Two-thirds of them (4.3 per cent) could be classified as preventable.

One of the most common preventable causes was use of NSAIDs and low-dose aspirin, which led to GI bleeding.

Drug-related problems also arose because of lack of monitoring for people on loop and potassium-sparing diuretics, antiepileptics and oral antidiabetic drugs. Adherence problems were linked to inhaled steroid therapy, antiepileptics, nitrates, loop diuretics and insulin treatment.

Targeting aspirin and NSAID prescribing, and adherence in asthmatics, epileptics and heart disease, could have the greatest impact, she suggested. Improving treatment monitoring in GP surgeries would also help, the researchers suggested.