Renal disease audit and drug usage evaluation for all patients

The object of this study was to develop a concurrent automated screening system to identify patients with a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) less than 50 mL per minute who might need dose or interval adjustment of drugs that are excreted primarily renally. The design of this investigation was a concurrent study of all patients in a level II trauma 317-bed community health center. The data were extracted after daily monitoring of patient laboratory values, specifically, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, and chart review. It was concluded that, in 1991, a total of 70 pharmacy-initiated interventions were made on the basis that potentially harmful side effects might have occurred if drugs that primarily are excreted renally were administered to patients identified with a calculated GFR less than 50 mL per minute.