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Drug Utilisation Patterns in Children Admitted to a Paediatric General Medical Ward in Five Countries

Asia N Rashed1, Ian C K Wong2, Lynda Wilton3

  • 1Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, King's Health Partners, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH UK ; Pharmacy Department, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, King's Health Partners, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH UK.

Drugs - Real World Outcomes
|December 23, 2015
PubMed

Insights

This study compared pediatric drug prescription patterns across five countries, finding similar common drug classes but significant differences in patient exposure and specific drug choices between nations.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric pharmacology
  • International comparative studies
  • Drug utilization research

Background:

  • Understanding global variations in pediatric medication use is crucial for optimizing patient care.
  • Previous research has highlighted differences in drug prescribing, but comprehensive international comparisons in pediatric general medical wards are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare drug prescription patterns in children admitted to pediatric general medical wards across five diverse countries.
  • To identify similarities and differences in the frequency and types of medications prescribed.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study was conducted on pediatric general medical wards in the UK, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.
  • Medications were classified using the World Health Organization Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system.
  • Prescription frequencies and patient exposures were analyzed overall and by country.

Main Results:

  • Over 1200 children were included, with 89.2% receiving a median of 3 drugs.
  • Systemic antibacterials, analgesics/NSAIDs, and drugs for obstructive airway diseases were the most frequent therapeutic groups prescribed.
  • While common drug classes were similar, significant differences in patient exposure rates and specific drug choices (e.g., metamizole in Germany, morphine in the UK) were observed between countries.

Conclusions:

  • Drug use patterns in pediatric general medical wards show similarities in the most frequently used therapeutic groups across diverse countries.
  • However, significant variations exist in the proportion of patients treated with certain drug classes and in the specific drugs utilized within those classes.
  • These findings underscore the influence of cultural and ethnic factors on prescribing practices in pediatric care.
Abstract

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