Ex) Article Title, Author, Keywords
Ex) Article Title, Author, Keywords
Pharmacoepidemiology and Risk Management 2023; 15(2): 157-164
Published online September 30, 2023 https://doi.org/10.56142/perm.23.0015
Copyright © Korean Society for Pharmacoepidemiology and Risk Management.
Jonghyun Jeong1*, Suhyun Lee1*, Ah Young Lee1, Kyu-Nam Heo1, Soyoung Park1, Hyunwoo Chae1, Ju-Yeun Lee1, Sang il Min2, Young-Mi Ah3, Ji Min Han4
정종현1*, 이수현1*, 이아영1, 허규남1, 박소영1, 채현우1, 이주연1, 민상일2, 아영미3, 한지민4
Correspondence to:Ji Min Han
College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, 194- 21 Osongsaengmyeong 1-ro, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju 28160, Korea
Tel: +82-43-249-1387
Fax: +82-43-268-2732
E-mail: jmhan@chungbuk.ac.kr
Young-Mi Ah
College of Pharmacy, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-ro, Gyeongsan 38541, Korea
Tel: +82-53-810-2823
Fax: +82-53-810-4654
E-mail: ymah@ynu.ac.kr
*The first two authors contributed equally to this work.
This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Objective: This study aimed to estimate the rate of high-alert medication (HAM) use in nationwide representative claims data and compare the rates by types of healthcare settings. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data obtained from 2019 and 2020 Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service National Patient Sample (HIRA-NPS) and National Inpatient Sample (HIRA-NIS). The study focused on essential HAMs from the HAM list for acute, long-term, and primary care settings. The usage was quantified in terms of the number of patients receiving the medications at least once, the proportion within the entire patient population, and the ratio of prescription days for HAMs to total days. We also analyzed the rate of inpatients who received HAMs in HIRA-NIS. Results: Among 1,888,831 patients included in the database, 480,852 patients (25.5%) received HAMs at least once annually, with oral benzodiazepine derivatives being the most commonly prescribed. Substantial variations were observed in HAM usage across healthcare settings with the highest prevalence observed in long-term care hospitals (32.4%) followed by acute care hospitals (24.8%) and primary care clinics (15.3%). Among inpatient populations, injectable benzodiazepines, anesthetics, and neuromuscular blockers were frequently prescribed. Conclusion: This study offers insights into the utilization of HAMs across various healthcare settings. It highlights the need for targeted interventions and management strategies to ensure the safe use of these medications, particularly in long-term care settings.
KeywordsHigh-alert medication, Prescription drugs, Patient safety, Benzodiazepines