Browsing by study line "Sosiaalifarmasia"

The medication process in palliative care is prone to medication errors and their significant consequences.The complex nature of palliative care medication includes frequent use of parenteral drugs and drug mixtures. Many of the medications used parenterally are considered high-alert medications which carry a significant risk of harm if used in error. By investing in medication safety initiatives, quality of palliative care can be improved, and costs reduced. The aim of this study was to identify the most common compositions of parenteral morphine and oxycodone mixtures administered in patient units providing special level (level B) palliative and hospice care in Helsinki. Identifying the most common compositions enables further researchon standardizing mixtures and centralizing compounding to improve medication safety. This study was conducted as a retrospective medical record review. The data was extracted from the electronic client and patient record system Apotti and consisted of medication administration records of 120 patients receiving special level B palliative and hospice care in Helsinki At-home Hospital and two patient wards in Suursuo Hospital. The data was analyzed with descriptive statistics using Microsoft Excel program. Patient characteristics, including age and ICD-10 diagnosis groups were analyzed. The most common drug combinations used in the mixtures and the combinations with the most variation were identified. Four drug combinations with the most unique compositions were selected for further analysis in which drug concentrations and daily drug doses were analyzed based on continuous infusion rates. 182 drug mixtures including morphine and 147 including oxycodone were identified. A diluent (NaCl 0.9%) was used in 225 mixtures and most often (178/225) the mixtures were diluted into volume of 20 ml. The most frequently used drug combination was comprised of morphine, midazolam, and haloperidol (26.4%), followed by the combination of oxycodone, midazolam, and haloperidol (21.8%). These combinations were also among the four combinations with the most unique compositions with the combination of oxycodone and midazolam and the combination of morphine, midazolam, haloperidol and glycopyrronium. In the four drug combinations with the most unique compositions, the variation was often relatively minor, and the largest variations were observed in opioid components: especially morphine was used in a wide variety of concentrations (2.00–17.91 mg/ml) and daily doses (15–260 mg). Most of the mixtures selected for further review (89/96) were compounded to provide a continuous infusion over a period of four days. In the studied units, mixtures with comparable compositions and features were frequently utilized, suggesting that standardization may be a feasible way to improve medication safety and quality of care in palliative care. As most of the mixtures were administered via PCA, standardization could be particularly advantageous. While it may be possible to standardize and centrally compound mixtures used in this study, more research is needed in several aspects, including physiochemical properties of the mixtures, meeting the clinical requirements in the units, and understanding the underlying factors behind medicine prescribing.

Johdanto: Terveydenhuollon tietojärjestelmiin potilaista kertyvää tieto on hyvä esimerkki massadatasta. Se muodostuu lukuisista yksittäisistä, irrallisista tapahtumista. Potilastiedon toissijaisella hyödyntämisellä tarkoitetaan tiedon käsittelyä muuta tarkoitusta kuin potilaan terveyden edistämistä ja hoitamista varten. Toisiokäytölle on tyypillistä, että pääasiallisena kiinnostuksen kohteena ei ole yksilötason tiedon hyödyntäminen, vaan isommasta potilasjoukosta saatava summatieto, josta yksilön tunnistetiedot on poistettu. Toisiokäyttö mahdollistaa potilastiedon hyödyntämisen esimerkiksi tieteellisessä tutkimuksessa ja tietojohtamisessa. Tavoite: Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin HUSin tietoaltaasta louhitun aineiston avulla, onko tietoaltaaseen tallennetun aineiston avulla mahdollista tutkia lääkehoidon turvallisuutta ja rationaalisuutta sekä selvittää, millaisessa muodossa tietoaltaan data saadaan käyttöön ja millaisia toimenpiteitä datalle tulee tehdä, jotta sitä voidaan hyödyntää potilastiedon analysoinnissa. Aineisto ja menetelmät: Massadatan hyödyntämistä pilotoitiin rekisteritutkimuksessa, jossa esimerkkinä käytettiin opioideja. Rationaalisen lääkehoidon toteutumisen tutkimiseksi määriteltiin lääkeindikaattorit eli tunnusluvut, jotka oli tarkoitettu opioidien lääkehoidon kokonaiskuvan tarkasteluun. Indikaattoreiden avulla luotiin pohja hakuparametreille ja lausekkeille, joita tietoallashaussa käytettiin. Aineisto louhittiin tietoaltaasta maaliskuussa 2020 ja se muodostui opioideja koskevista lääkemääräysmerkinnöistä, jotka oli kirjattu potilastietojärjestelmään 1.1.2015-31.12.2019. Tulokset: Tietoallashausta saatiin 321 000 potilaan opioidimääräysdataa yhteensä noin 1,73 miljoonaa riviä. Kotiutumisen yhteydessä annetut opioidireseptit rajattiin jatkoanalyysin ulkopuolelle, sillä niitä koskeva tieto ei ollut rakenteisessa muodossa. Sairaalassa annettuja säännöllisiä opioidilääkemääräyksiä koskeva aineisto oli noin 258 000 riviä. Dataa siivottiin, järjesteltiin ja validoitiin data-analyysiä varten. Toimenpiteistä huolimatta data ei soveltunut indikaattorien laskentaan. Johtopäätökset: Tietoallasaineiston käytön mahdollisuudet rationaalisen ja turvallisen lääkehoidon tutkimukseen olivat tämän tutkimuksen perusteella rajalliset. Massadata-aineiston saattaminen tutkimuksellisesti hyödynnettävään muotoon vaatii menetelmän, joka pitää sisällään useita työvaiheita ja niiden kehittäminen vaatii tietoteknistä erityisasiantuntemusta. Vaikka dataa saatiin paljon, yksittäisen potilaan opioidilääkehoidosta ei saatu kokonaiskuvaa, koska merkittävä osa datasta oli rakenteettomassa muodossa. Potilastiedon toissijaisen hyödyntämisen kannalta aineiston rakenteisen osan merkittävimmät käytön esteet liittyivät datan laatuun ja luotettavuuteen. Jotta tietoaltaasta saatava aineisto soveltuisi toisiokäyttöön tai tieteelliseen tutkimukseen, pitää sekä potilastietojärjestelmän merkintä- ja kirjaamistapoja yhtenäistää sekä data tulisi tallentaa tietoaltaaseen yhä rakenteisemmassa muodossa.

Pitkäaikaiset lääkitykset lisääntyvät jatkuvasti kroonisten sairauksien yleistymisen ja väestön ikääntymisen takia. Pitkäaikaisten sairauksien hoidossa lääkehoitojen rationaalisuus korostuu, mutta WHO:n arvioiden mukaan noin puolet lääkkeiden määräämisestä, toimittamisesta, käytöstä ja myynnistä toteutuu epärationaalisesti. Tämä lisää terveydenhuollon ammattilaisten vastuuta lääkehoidon vaikutusten seurannassa ja potilaan hoitoon sitouttamisessa myös reseptien uudistamisessa. Reseptien uudistamiskäytäntöjä on kuitenkin tutkittu vähän niin Suomessa kuin maailmanlaajuisesti. Tässä pro gradu -tutkielmassa tavoitteena oli tarkastella nykyisiä reseptien uudistamiskäytäntöjä perusterveydenhuollon lääkäreiden näkökulmasta. Tavoitteena oli tarkastella, minkälaiset tekijät vaikuttavat lääkäreiden työskentelyyn sekä potilaan lääkehoidon kokonaisuuden hallintaan ja turvallisuuteen reseptien uudistamistilanteissa. Lisäksi kartoitettiin lääkäreiden ratkaisuehdotuksia uudistamiskäytäntöjen kehittämiseksi. Tutkimus toteutettiin laadullisena monimenetelmätutkimuksena Kirkkonummen terveysasemilla. Tutkimuksessa hyödynnettiin triangulaatiota ja tutkimusaineisto koostui reseptien uudistamistilanteiden varjostuksesta sekä kahdesta lääkäreiden ryhmähaastattelusta. Tutkimukseen osallistui yhteensä 12 lääkäriä, joista viisi osallistui varjostusvaiheeseen ja seitsemän haastatteluvaiheeseen. Aineisto kerättiin huhti-heinäkuun 2019 aikana. Tutkimuksen teoreettisena viitekehyksenä oli inhimillisen erehdyksen teoriaan perustuva järjestelmälähtöinen näkökulma. Tutkimusaineisto analysoitiin aineistolähtöisellä sisällönanalyysillä, jossa varjostus- ja haastatteluaineistosta etsittiin tutkimuksen tavoitteiden kannalta merkittäviä ilmaisuja. Reseptien uudistaminen on lääkäreiden näkökulmasta monivaiheinen prosessi. Prosessiin vaikuttivat useat uudistamista helpottavat ja vaikeuttavat järjestelmä-, potilas- ja lääkelähtöiset tekijät. Lääkärit tunnistivat ongelmakohtia uudistamisprosessin jokaisesta vaiheesta. Lääkäreiden mukaan etenkin tietojärjestelmien epäkäytännölliset ominaisuudet ja tekniset ongelmat sekä ajantasaisten lääkitystietojen ja tiedonkulun puutteet olivat uudistamistilanteissa ongelmallisia ja tekivät uudistamisesta työlästä. Myös kiire ja uudistettavien reseptien suuri määrä vaikeuttivat uudistamista. Ongelmien takia lääkärit kokivat, ettei lääkehoitojen seurantaa voitu tehdä uudistamistilanteessa perusteellisesti. Lääkäreiden ehdotuksia uudistamisprosessin kehittämiseen olivat uudistamisen parempi koordinointi, tietojärjestelmien ja tiedonvälityksen kehittäminen sekä moniammatillisen yhteistyön ja potilaan osallistamisen lisääminen.

Biologiset lääkkeet ovat keskeinen osa syöpäsairauksien hoitoa. Ne ovat usein perinteisiä pienimolekyylisiä lääkkeitä kalliimpia, ja niiden aiheuttamia kustannuksia potilaalle ja yhteiskunnalle voidaan hillitä edullisempien biosimilaarien eli vertailukelpoisten biologisten lääkkeiden käytöllä. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli tutkia kyselyaineiston perusteella syöpäpotilaiden näkemyksiä lääkärin toteuttamasta biologisten lääkkeiden lääkevaihdosta ja niihin vaikuttavia tekijöitä avoterveydenhuollossa. Lisäksi tutkittiin, miten yleisesti syöpäpotilaat tunnistavat biologisen lääkkeen ja biosimilaarin käsitteet, ja potilaiden syöpälääkitystään koskevia lääketiedon lähteitä. Tutkimuksen osana toteutettiin järjestelmälliseen kirjallisuushakuun perustuva katsaus syöpäpotilaiden näkemyksistä biologisista lääkkeistä ja/tai biosimilaareista ja niiden lääkevaihdosta. Tutkimus perustui Yliopiston Apteekin ja Helsingin yliopiston yhteistyössä Suomen Syöpäpotilaat ry:n kanssa toteuttamaan tutkimuskyselyyn syöpäpotilaille tammikuussa 2021. Tutkimuskutsu lähetettiin Yliopiston Apteekin kanta-asiakkaille tutkimusuutiskirjeenä ja Suomen Syöpäpotilaat ry tiedotti tutkimuksesta sähköisessä viestinnässään. Tutkimuksen kohderyhmänä olivat aikuiset, joilla oli lääkärin toteama syöpäsairaus ja jotka olivat käyttäneet syöpäsairautensa hoitoon lääkärin määräämä lääkehoitoa kyselyä edeltävän 12 kuukauden aikana. Tutkimusaineisto koostui 294 kohderyhmän potilaasta. Ensisijaisella tulosmuuttujalla (summamuuttuja) tutkittiin syöpäpotilaiden näkemyksiä lääkärin toteuttamasta biologisten lääkkeiden lääkevaihdosta. Vastaajilla oli keskimäärin myönteinen näkemys lääkärin toteuttamasta biologisten lääkkeiden lääkevaihdosta, mutta lääkevaihdon toteuttamiseen liittyi potilaiden kokemaa epävarmuutta (summamuuttuja: Cronbachin alfa 0,808; keskiarvo 3,29/5,00, 95 % lv 3,20–3,38). Myönteinen näkemys oli yhteydessä potilaiden myönteisiin näkemyksiin biosimilaarien ja geneeristen lääkkeiden ominaisuuksista, kuten tehosta, haittavaikutuksista ja käytettävyydestä sekä vastaajan korkeampaan koulutustasoon ja vähäisempiin huoliin yleisesti omasta lääkehoidostaan. Enemmistö (72 %) vastaajista tunnisti biologisen lääkkeen käsitteen, biosimilaari-käsite tunnistettiin heikommin (19 %). Vastaajien käytetyimmät lääketiedon lähteet syöpälääkityksestään olivat terveydenhuollon ammattilaiset (48–88 %) ja pakkausseloste (80 %). Syöpäpotilaiden näkemyksiin biologisten lääkkeiden lääkärin toteuttamasta lääkevaihdosta vaikuttivat useat tekijät, kuten näkemykset biosimilaarien ja geneeristen lääkkeiden ominaisuuksista. Vaikka useat syöpäpotilaat suhtautuivat keskimäärin myönteisesti lääkärin toteuttamaan biologisten lääkkeiden lääkevaihtoon, siihen liittyi usein epävarmuutta. Tulevaisuudessa tulisi tutkia tarkemmin syöpäpotilaiden tietämystä biologisista lääkkeistä ja biosimilaareista. Lisäksi tulisi tutkia millaista lääkeinformaatiota potilaat tarvitsevat päätöksenteon tueksi biologisten lääkkeiden lääkevaihdossa.

Migraine was ranked as the second largest cause of disability in 2016 in the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. People with migraine have a greater disability and a lower health-related quality of life than those of the general population. Many migraine patients experience functional and emotional impairment due to their disease. Migraine can limit their daily activities and impact their private, professional and social life. Migraine affects the patient also in between the attacks and can impact their education, career and their family and loved ones. Comorbid diseases and failed treatment lines add to the burden of migraine. Furthermore, migraine also imposes an economic burden. Stigma is described as the hidden burden of disease. Chronic migraine patients have been found to have higher stigma than episodic migraine patients. Even though migraine is one of the most common disabling headache disorders, it is still both under-recognised, under-diagnosed and under-treated. The objectives of this study were to determine the extent of the burden and the stigma of migraine in adult Finnish migraine patients. This study aimed to produce comprehensive and current information about migraine and its severity in Finland, highlighting the burden it poses on the migraine patients as well as on society. Migraine is most prevalent among the working aged population, which increases the societal burden of the disease. This study was conducted as a cross-sectional electronic survey amongst adult Finnish migraine patients. The participants were contacted through the Finnish Migraine Patient Advocacy Group. The questionnaire consisted of the already existing and validated Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) Questionnaire and of measures developed by the author. The final data consisted of 608 responses. Of all respondents with 8 or more headache days a month, over 90% were categorised in the severe disability group (MIDAS grade IV), thus having similar disability to those with 15 or more headache days a month (i.e. respondents with probable chronic migraine). The proportion of respondents with severe disability (MIDAS grade IV) was greater in the present study (65.0%) than in a study conducted in Finland in 2000 (47%), indicating that migraine disability in Finland might have become more severe during the past two decades. The mean level of headache pain in the present study was 6.2 (on a scale of 0-10) and pain was the aspect that most respondents viewed as the worst aspect of migraine. This highlights the importance of proper pain management in migraine care. Many of the respondents were also at risk for medication overuse, which highlights the importance of monitoring medication use and informing the patients about possible risks. Stress was reported as the most common migraine trigger, and reducing stress at the workplace was also reported as the most important way of how migraine could better be managed at the workplace. Almost half (44.4%) of all respondents felt stigmatised due to their migraine. Reasons for this stigma and suggested solutions on how to reduce/manage the stigma were quite similar. The ignorance of others was the most reported reason for their migraine stigma, and increasing awareness and correct information about migraine was the most reported way of reducing the stigma. Many of the respondents had faced, due to their migraine, belittlement at work, from family and friend and from healthcare professionals. Facing belittlement from healthcare professionals was reported to have happened often by 11.5% and sometimes by 34.7% of all respondents. Of all respondents, 55.6% worried often and 29.8% worried sometimes about the onset of the next migraine attack. The majority of the respondents had severe disability based on their MIDAS grades. Many other aspect of the burden were reported as well, inculding stigma, reported by almost half of the respondents. Further and future studies need to be conducted to get an even better understanding of the burden and stigma of migraine experienced by adult Finnish migraine patients. This includes further and more intricate quantitative and qualitative analyses of the data from this study, as´well as studies with new perspectives based on the results found in this study.

For their good clinical value and supply the use of biological medicines has increased in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, biological medicines are often more expensive compared to traditional small molecule medicines. More inexpensive biosimilars, shown to be clinically equal to the corresponding biological original products, can be used to reduce medication costs as part of rational pharmacotherapy. Although patients’ perceptions about biosimilars may affect the treatment adherence and outcomes of the use of these medicines, only a few studies have been published on this area. The primary aim of the study was to study IBD patients’ perceptions of the features of biosimilars and biosimilars’ suitability for their own treatment. The secondary aim was to study biological medicine users’ perceptions of the suitability of biosimilar switch by a physician for their own treatment. In addition, sources of medicines information of the users of biological medicines were studied. The data of the study were based on a cross-sectional survey conducted by the University Pharmacy and University of Helsinki in January 2021. Research Newsletter and response link were delivered per an email to University Pharmacy’s loyal customers and electronically communicated via the Association of Rheumatism and the Association of IBD and other intestinal diseases. The study comprised of the responses of adult outpatients with IBD (n=979) who were using original biological medicines (n=120), biosimilars (n=30) or traditional small molecule medicines (n=829) (medicine user groups). The sum variables constructed by factor analysis based on the study aims were used as outcome variables. Differences between medicine user groups and the effects of other background variables were analyzed by bivariate and multivariate analysis using SPSS Statistics software. Most of the patients (70–97 % depending on the medicine user group) trusted biosimilars’ features to be equal to the corresponding original biological medicines. However, more than half of the patients (53–67%) did not know whether they would like to physician to prescribe biosimilar to them rather than the original biological medicine. Of the users of original biological medicines, 71 % did not want to be switched to a biosimilar if the current medication was working well. Biosimilar users had more positive perceptions about biosimilars and switching compared to other medicine user groups. Physician’s perception played an important role in biologic switching. Several factors that may affect perceptions about the features of biosimilars and their use in patient’s own treatment were identified. These included, in particular, previous user experience with biosimilars and having information about them. Overall, patients had positive perceptions about the features of biosimilars but had uncertainties about the use of biosimilars, especially, for the treatment of their own disease and when switching medication. More research is needed on the perceptions among different patient groups, and on the need and optimal form of medication information on biological medicines, biosimilars and their switching.

Annually thousands of Finnish children are placed in foster care as a measure of child welfare. Institutional foster care is provided by child welfare institutions. Social and health care professionals, such as bachelors in social services, youth workers, practical nurses, and registered nurses working in these institutions are responsible for carrying out the children’s medication treatment. Depending on completed basic and additional training and work experience, the personnel have varying competencies in medication treatment. The aim of this study was to provide research-based information on the challenges and development needs related to the safe and rational medication treatment of children in foster care living in child welfare institutions. This was studied from the point of view of institution personnel and social workers responsible for placement decisions. Furthermore, the study investigated the medication use process of children in institutional foster care and, how the child’s health and medication treatment related needs are considered in the placement process and in selecting the foster care place. The study was conducted as a qualitative study using focus group discussions (FGDs) carried out to child welfare social workers (n=1) and child welfare institution personnel (n=10) during November and December 2022. Semi-structured focus group discussions (n=3) were conducted over the video conferencing software Microsoft Teams®. The participants (n=11) were recruited through child welfare services of Central Uusimaa Wellbeing County. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. According to the focus groups, medication treatment is common among children living in child welfare institutions. In the daily life of child welfare institutions, there were challenges and development needs related to medication treatment and medication use process. The main challenges and development needs were the lack of up-to-date information regarding the children’s health status and medication, challenges in organizing acute medication treatment, the personnel’s up-to-date drug administration permissions and varying competencies in medication treatment. In addition, fragmented overall responsibility of the medication treatments and poor access to healthcare presented challenges for organizing and carrying out medication treatment for the children. Medication use process during foster care appeared to be fragmented and it was seen to be susceptible to errors. According to this study, the possibilities for taking children’s health status and medical needs into account at the point of placement were scarce. These needs often did not guide placement decisions. Considering the medication use process and medication safety, it is essential that child welfare institutions have access to up-to-date health and medication information of the children. To achieve the best interests of the children, organizing acute medical treatment should be facilitated and the overall responsibility health care and medication therapy clarified. In addition, seamless access to the necessary healthcare must be ensured for children in foster care. Considering medication safety, it is important to ensure that the personnel of child welfare institutions have up-to-date competencies in medication treatment that meet the needs of the children.

Barcode-assisted medication administration can be used to prevent medication errors in pediatric hospital settings, as the medicine and the patient can be safely identified during the drug preparation and administration. The use of barcode-assisted medication administration has been examined in a few qualitative studies. In addition to the benefits, many challenges related to the implementation of this new workflow have been identified. The aim of this study was to identify facilitators and barriers related to the use of barcode-assisted medication administration in a children's hospital. The topic has not been studied in Finland before. A qualitative focus group study was carried out at HUS Helsinki University Hospital in the Department of Children and Adolescents. Ward pharmacists (n=14) were selected for the focus groups (n=3) by purposive sampling to identify persons using barcode-assisted medication administration on their daily work. Two researchers conducted the inductive content analysis independently, after which a consensus was formed first with these researchers and later with the entire research group. COREQ checklist was used to support detailed reporting and to consider the factors that might affect to the reliability of the study in each phase of the study. Four main themes were identified from the data; the barriers, the risk behavior caused by the barriers, the facilitators and the development ideas. The barriers included challenges related to negative attitudes of the end-users, barcodes on drug packages and labels, use of the electronic health record system, workstations and equipment, as well as orientation, competence and management. The barriers caused risk behavior that was related either to the system or to the end-user. On the other hand, the facilitators were associated with the positive experience of the end-user, the increase in expertise and multi-professional cooperation, the functions of the electronic health record system that supported the preparation and administration of the medicines, as well as the benefits of the barcode-assisted medication administration workflow. The development ideas aimed to remove the barriers and the risk behavior related to the use of barcode-assisted medication administration. The users found that the use of barcode-assisted medication administration increased patient and medication safety, although there were still many challenges associated with the new workflow. Barcode-assisted medication administration can be used to reduce medication errors and protect patients from adverse events. The results of this study can be used to develop the usability of barcode technology and their implementation.