Retrospective Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Oct 26, 2023; 11(30): 7302-7308
Published online Oct 26, 2023. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i30.7302
Clinical pharmacists’ involvement in carbapenem antibiotics management at Wenzhou Integrated Hospital
Xue-Mei Xu, Cai-Yu Pan, Da-Li Zeng
Xue-Mei Xu, Cai-Yu Pan, Da-Li Zeng, Department of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: Xu XM and Pan CY proposed the study concept; Zeng DL contributed to the data collection; Pan CY contributed to the formal analysis; Xu XM and Zeng DL participated in the survey; Xu XM contributed to these methods; Zeng DL guided the research; Pan CY and Zeng DL validated this study; Xu XM, Pan CY, and Zeng DL contributed to study visualization; and Xu XM, Pan CY, and Zeng DL reviewed and co-wrote the manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: This study was reviewed and approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Wenzhou Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital (No. 2019-L059).
Informed consent statement: All study participants or their legal guardians provided written informed consent before study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: We have no financial relationships to disclose.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Xue-Mei Xu, MS, Attending Doctor, Department of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital, No. 75 Jinxiu Road, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China. miexiong076505@126.com
Received: September 12, 2023
Peer-review started: September 12, 2023
First decision: September 25, 2023
Revised: September 27, 2023
Accepted: October 8, 2023
Article in press: October 8, 2023
Published online: October 26, 2023
Processing time: 42 Days and 23 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Carbapenem antibiotics are a pivotal solution for severe infections, particularly in hospital settings. The emergence of carbapenem-resistant bacteria owing to the irrational and extensive use of carbapenems underscores the need for meticulous management and rational use. Clinical pharmacists, with their specialized training and extensive knowledge, play a substantial role in ensuring the judicious use of carbapenem. This study aimed to elucidate the patterns of carbapenem use and shed light on the integral role played by clinical pharmacists in managing and promoting the rational use of carbapenem antibiotics at Wenzhou Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital.

AIM

To analyze carbapenem use patterns in our hospital and role of clinical pharmacists in managing and promoting their rational use.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of carbapenem use at our hospital between January 2019 and December 2021. Several key indicators, including the drug utilization index, defined daily doses (DDDs), proportion of antimicrobial drug costs to total hospitalization expenses, antibiotic utilization density, and utilization rates in different clinical departments were comprehensively analyzed.

RESULTS

Between 2019 and 2021, there was a consistent decline in the consumption and sales of imipenem-cilastatin sodium, meropenem (0.3 g), and meropenem (0.5 g). Conversely, the DDDs of imipenem-cilastatin sodium for injection increased in 2020 and 2021 vs 2019, with a B/A value of 0.67, indicating a relatively higher drug cost. The DDDs of meropenem for injection (0.3 g) exhibited an overall upward trend, indicating an increasing clinical preference. However, the B/A values for 2020 and 2021 were both > 1, suggesting a relatively lower drug cost. The DDDs of meropenem for injection (0.5 g) demonstrated a progressive increase annually and consistently ranked first, indicating a high clinical preference with a B/A value of 1, signifying good alignment between economic and social benefits.

CONCLUSION

Carbapenem use in our hospital was generally reasonable with a downward trend in consumption and sales over time. Clinical pharmacists play a pivotal role in promoting appropriate use of carbapenems.

Keywords: Clinical pharmacists; Carbapenem antibiotics; Rational drug use; Drug utilization index; Defined daily doses; Antibiotic utilization density

Core tip: This study explored the utilization patterns of carbapenem antibiotics and highlighted the significant role of clinical pharmacists in their management at Wenzhou Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital. These findings indicate a decline in the consumption and sales of specific carbapenems and an increase in the preference for certain types of carbapenems. The study concluded that the hospital’s use of carbapenems is generally reasonable, emphasizing the crucial contribution of clinical pharmacists in promoting appropriate antibiotic use.