Cervera C, Kutwal-Sharma R, Landerville N, Policar M; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12; 14: abstract no. MoPeB3169.
Elmhurst Hospital Center, Elmhurst, New York, United States
BACKGROUND: It is generally accepted that HIV is a rapidly mutating virus which frequently acquires resistance to ARV medications when drug levels fall below the threshold necessary to prevent viral replication. Currently, there is great emphasis on patient education on the importance of adherence. However, when patients are admitted to the hospital, we have found an inconsistency in medication adherence. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of ARV medication administration in hospitalized HIV-infected patients in an urban acute care hospital. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of hospitalized patients with HIV infection. Physician orders and nursing administration records were reviewed with attention to dose, route frequency and food restrictions. RESULTS: A total of 69 patient in-hospital charts were reviewed. 28 of the 69 patients had ARVs prescribed during their hospital stay. A total of 87 ARV medication orders were placed [47 for Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTI), 11 for Non-NRTI (NNRTI), and 29 for Protease Inhibitors (PI)]. Physician written orders were incorrect 43% of the time (N=37). The most common errors were due to a failure to address food restrictions (25%). Errors occurred most frequently in the PI group, where 93% were written incorrectly. It was found that pharmacists and nursing staff distributed/dispensed medications based on the erroneously written orders. CONCLUSIONS: ARV medication errors occur frequently during hospitalizations of patients. We believe this is due to the lack of education/familiarity of hospital staff members with ARV therapy. A multipronged approach to correcting this problem has been implemented. This includes specific education of physicians, nurses and pharmacists and written reference materials. In addition, a new policy was implemented requiring approval by an infectious diseases physician prior to dispensing of medications.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Humans
- Inpatients
- Medication Errors
- Pharmaceutical Preparations
- Prescriptions, Drug
- Protease Inhibitors
- Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
- drug therapy
- methods
Other ID:
UI: 102252793
From Meeting Abstracts