Drug-related problems have the potential to threaten patient health, and pharmacists are in a position to prevent such problems through prescription reviews and patient counseling, actively engaging in pharmaceutical care activities. This study aims to categorize and analyze the intervention activities of pharmacists in community pharmacies concerning drug-related problems, following international criteria. Methods: Over a six-month period, prescription interventions completed in a com-munity pharmacy in Seoul were selected as the research subjects. The causes of interventions were classified according to the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) drug-related problems (DRPs) classification system and the types and frequencies of DRPs were identified. Results: Among a total of 49,334 prescriptions, 527 interventions were completed, constituting approximately 1.07% of the daily average filled prescriptions. Individuals over 60 years of age represented more than 50%. The primary cause of DRPs was prescribing and drug selection issues, comprising 256 cases (48.58%), with specific subcategories including109 cases of drug selection, 79 cases of treatment duration errors, 47 cases of dose selection, and 21 cases of inappropriate dosage form selection. Patient-related issues accounted for 204 cases (38.71%). Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the pharmacists’ intervention in community pharmacies contributes to the safe use of medication by patients.

Drug-related problems have the potential to threaten patient health, and pharmacists are in a position to prevent such problems through prescription reviews and patient counseling, actively engaging in pharmaceutical care activities. This study aims to categorize and analyze the intervention activities of pharmacists in community pharmacies concerning drug-related problems, following international criteria. Methods: Over a six-month period, prescription interventions completed in a com-munity pharmacy in Seoul were selected as the research subjects. The causes of interventions were classified according to the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) drug-related problems (DRPs) classification system and the types and frequencies of DRPs were identified. Results: Among a total of 49,334 prescriptions, 527 interventions were completed, constituting approximately 1.07% of the daily average filled prescriptions. Individuals over 60 years of age represented more than 50%. The primary cause of DRPs was prescribing and drug selection issues, comprising 256 cases (48.58%), with specific subcategories including109 cases of drug selection, 79 cases of treatment duration errors, 47 cases of dose selection, and 21 cases of inappropriate dosage form selection. Patient-related issues accounted for 204 cases (38.71%). Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the pharmacists’ intervention in community pharmacies contributes to the safe use of medication by patients.

Drug-related problems have the potential to threaten patient health, and pharmacists are in a position to prevent such problems through prescription reviews and patient counseling, actively engaging in pharmaceutical care activities. This study aims to categorize and analyze the intervention activities of pharmacists in community pharmacies concerning drug-related problems, following international criteria. Methods: Over a six-month period, prescription interventions completed in a com-munity pharmacy in Seoul were selected as the research subjects. The causes of interventions were classified according to the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) drug-related problems (DRPs) classification system and the types and frequencies of DRPs were identified. Results: Among a total of 49,334 prescriptions, 527 interventions were completed, constituting approximately 1.07% of the daily average filled prescriptions. Individuals over 60 years of age represented more than 50%. The primary cause of DRPs was prescribing and drug selection issues, comprising 256 cases (48.58%), with specific subcategories including109 cases of drug selection, 79 cases of treatment duration errors, 47 cases of dose selection, and 21 cases of inappropriate dosage form selection. Patient-related issues accounted for 204 cases (38.71%). Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the pharmacists’ intervention in community pharmacies contributes to the safe use of medication by patients.

Drug-related problems have the potential to threaten patient health, and pharmacists are in a position to prevent such problems through prescription reviews and patient counseling, actively engaging in pharmaceutical care activities. This study aims to categorize and analyze the intervention activities of pharmacists in community pharmacies concerning drug-related problems, following international criteria. Methods: Over a six-month period, prescription interventions completed in a com-munity pharmacy in Seoul were selected as the research subjects. The causes of interventions were classified according to the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) drug-related problems (DRPs) classification system and the types and frequencies of DRPs were identified. Results: Among a total of 49,334 prescriptions, 527 interventions were completed, constituting approximately 1.07% of the daily average filled prescriptions. Individuals over 60 years of age represented more than 50%. The primary cause of DRPs was prescribing and drug selection issues, comprising 256 cases (48.58%), with specific subcategories including109 cases of drug selection, 79 cases of treatment duration errors, 47 cases of dose selection, and 21 cases of inappropriate dosage form selection. Patient-related issues accounted for 204 cases (38.71%). Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the pharmacists’ intervention in community pharmacies contributes to the safe use of medication by patients.

Background: Using KIDS-KAERS database (KIDS-KD) from 2016 to 2020, the aim is to investigate signals of adverse events of alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists and to present adverse events that are not included in the precautions for use when marketing approval. Methods: This study was conducted by disproportionality analysis. Data mining analysis was performed to detect signals of alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists, such as terazosin, doxazosin, alfuzosin, silodosin, and tamsulosin. The signal was defined by three criteria as proportional reporting ratio (PRR), reporting odds ratio (ROR), and information component (IC). Detected signals were compared with product labeling and the European Medicines Agency-Important Medical Events list. Results: Out of the total number of 408,077 reports for adverse events, 6,750 cases were reported as adverse events of alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists. Dizziness, mouth dryness, hypotension postural, and oedema peripheral are identified as common adverse events of five alphaadrenoceptor antagonists and are typically listed on drug labels. However, new signals were detected for pneumonia, chronic obstructive airway disease, eye diseases such as glaucoma and cataracts, fracture, and ileus of tamsulosin that were not previously listed on the drug labels in Korea. Conclusions This study identified signals related to adverse drug reactions of alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists and presented serious adverse events, suggesting new adverse reactions to be aware of when using alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists.

Background: & Objectives: Fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) offer advantages in adherence and cost-effectiveness compared to free combinations (FCs), but they can also complicate the prescribing process, potentially leading to therapeutic duplication (TD). This study aimed to identify the prescribing patterns of FDCs for dyslipidemia and investigate their associated risk of TD. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study involving drugs that included statins, using Health Insurance Review & Assessment ServiceNational Patient Sample (HIRA-NPS) data from 2018. The unit of analysis was a prescription claim. The primary outcome was TD.The risk ratio of TD was calculated and adjusted for patient, prescriber, and the number of cardiovascular drugs prescribed using a multivariable Poisson model. Results: Our study included 252,797 FDC prescriptions and 515,666 FC prescriptions. Of the FDC group, 46.52% were male patients and 56.21% were aged 41 to 65. Ezetimibe was included in 71.61% of the FDC group, but only 0.25% of the FC group. TD occurred in 0.18% of the FDC group, and the adjusted risk ratio of TD in FDC prescriptions compared to FC was 6. 44 (95% CI 5. 30-7. 82). Conclusions Prescribing FDCs for dyslipidemia was associated with a higher risk of TD compared to free combinations. Despite the relatively low absolute prevalence of TD, the findings underline the necessity for strategies to mitigate this risk when prescribing FDCs for dyslipidemia. Our study suggests the potential utility of Clinical Decision Support Systems and standardizing nomenclature in reducing medication errors, providing valuable insights for clinical practice and future research.

Background: Fixed-dose combinations have the advantage of improving patient compliance, but may increase the risk of duplicate prescriptions. As the use of fixed-dose combination antihypertensives increases, it is necessary to investigate the current status of class duplication prescriptions (CDP) in patients taking fixed-dose combination antihypertensives in Korea and to identify factors associated with CDP. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study using nationally representative claim data. Hypertensive patients aged 20 years or older taking fixed-dose combination antihypertensives were extracted. Among these patients, patients with CDP were identified. A chi-square test was applied to determine the differences between patients with CDP and nonCDP. The associated factors of CDP were identified through multiple logistic regression. Results: Of the 74,165 patients who were prescribed fixed-dose combination antihypertensives, 426 patients (0.6%) with CDP were identified. The most common antihypertensive class associated with CDP was calcium channel blockers (194 patients, 45.5%), followed by angiotensin II receptor blockers (136 patients, 31.9%). Patients aged 75 years or older (odds ratio [OR] 1.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-3.52), chronic kidney disease (OR 4.45, 95% CI 2.15-8.25), chronic heart failure (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.93-3.72), coronary artery disease (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.60-3.03) and Medical Aid/Patriots and Veterans Insurance (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.04-2.07) were significantly associated with increased CDP. Conclusions The factors associated with CDP were the elderly, comorbidities, and low socioeconomic status. Since CDP can result in negative clinical outcomes, active intervention by the pharmacist is warranted.

Objective: To describe patterns of spontaneous reporting on adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) using the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine according to the Brighton Collaboration (BC) criteria. Methods: We used the Korea Adverse Event Reporting System (KAERS) database including vaccinations between 2008 and 2017. To apply BC criteria, we classified 58 BC AEFIs into World Health Organization Adverse Reaction Terminology (WHO-ART) codes. We applied MedDRA standard medical queries that were pre-defined as five BC AEFIs. Terminology mapping between MedDRA and WHO-ART terms was performed by three researchers. Descriptive statistics of individual case safety reports were analyzed according to BC applicability.Disproportionality analyses were performed on each BC AEFI and each preferred AEFI term according to the case-noncase approach; reporting odds ratio (ROR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results: Among the 30,266 reports of vaccinations between 2008 and 2017, 2,845 reports included the HPV vaccine. Of these reports, 1,511 (53.1%) included at least one BC AEFI. Reports from physicians or manufacturers included more BC AEFIs than from other reporters. Injection site reactions and fever were frequently reported in BC AEFIs; spontaneous abortion and ectopic pregnancy (ROR, 14.29 [95% CI, 4.30-47.49]) and vasculitic peripheral neuropathy (ROR, 8.57 [95% CI, 2.61-28.10]) showed the highest ROR. Among non-BC AEFIs, dizziness or myalgia were frequently reported; exposure during pregnancy (ROR, 23.95 [95% CI, 16.27-35.25]) and inappropriate schedule of administration (ROR, 22.89 [95% CI, 16.74-31.31]) showed the highest ROR. Conclusion BC criteria would be applicable for labeled AEFIs, whereas analyzing non-BC AEFIs would be useful for detecting unlabeled AEFIs.

Objective: To describe patterns of spontaneous reporting on adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) using the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine according to the Brighton Collaboration (BC) criteria. Methods: We used the Korea Adverse Event Reporting System (KAERS) database including vaccinations between 2008 and 2017. To apply BC criteria, we classified 58 BC AEFIs into World Health Organization Adverse Reaction Terminology (WHO-ART) codes. We applied MedDRA standard medical queries that were pre-defined as five BC AEFIs. Terminology mapping between MedDRA and WHO-ART terms was performed by three researchers. Descriptive statistics of individual case safety reports were analyzed according to BC applicability.Disproportionality analyses were performed on each BC AEFI and each preferred AEFI term according to the case-noncase approach; reporting odds ratio (ROR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results: Among the 30,266 reports of vaccinations between 2008 and 2017, 2,845 reports included the HPV vaccine. Of these reports, 1,511 (53.1%) included at least one BC AEFI. Reports from physicians or manufacturers included more BC AEFIs than from other reporters. Injection site reactions and fever were frequently reported in BC AEFIs; spontaneous abortion and ectopic pregnancy (ROR, 14.29 [95% CI, 4.30-47.49]) and vasculitic peripheral neuropathy (ROR, 8.57 [95% CI, 2.61-28.10]) showed the highest ROR. Among non-BC AEFIs, dizziness or myalgia were frequently reported; exposure during pregnancy (ROR, 23.95 [95% CI, 16.27-35.25]) and inappropriate schedule of administration (ROR, 22.89 [95% CI, 16.74-31.31]) showed the highest ROR. Conclusion BC criteria would be applicable for labeled AEFIs, whereas analyzing non-BC AEFIs would be useful for detecting unlabeled AEFIs.

A 62-year-old man visited our hospital for a regular follow-up of a known liver cirrhosis. Laboratory tests revealed recently elevated total and direct bilirubin levels. Imaging studies showed two small hepatic cysts (2.7 and 2.9 cm in the largest diameter) compressing both central intrahepatic ducts, respectively. Obstructive jaundice caused by the cysts was diagnosed. Sclerotherapy of the cysts was performed with 100% ethanol after aspiration of the cyst contents. An follow-up CT obtained after 3 months showed decreased cyst size and improved bile duct dilatation. It is known that obstructive jaundice due to a hepatic cyst is rare, and the cysts were unusually large and centrally located. We report a case of obstructive jaundice caused by very small hepatic cysts that was successfully treated with sclerotherapy.
Bile Ducts ; Bilirubin ; Dilatation ; Ethanol ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Jaundice, Obstructive* ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases ; Middle Aged ; Sclerotherapy*