Defining Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions for Hypoglycaemic Agents to Improve Computerised Decision Support: A...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Clinical Pharmacy
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) affects 5% of the French population, often managed by general practitioners.
• Most T2DM patients receive antidiabetic treatments from general practitioners, increasing the risk of potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIPs) for hypoglycaemic agents (HAs).
• Assessing inappropriate prescribing relies on implicit (expert judgment) or explicit (criterion-based) methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for creating explicit definitions of PIPs for HAs in T2DM patients.
• To establish the first list of explicit definitions for PIPs of HAs in T2DM.
• To facilitate the automated detection of PIPs through decision support tools.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of published definitions of PIPs for HAs in T2DM.
• Qualitative study using two expert focus groups to refine definitions.
• Delphi survey and consensus meetings for validation.

Main Results:

• A method was developed to determine explicit definitions of PIPs for HAs in T2DM.
• The process involved systematic review, expert consultation, and consensus-building.
• The resulting definitions are suitable for integration into automated detection systems.

Conclusions:

• Explicit definitions for PIPs of HAs in T2DM were successfully developed.
• These definitions can be integrated into computerized decision support tools.
• This approach aims to improve the safety and appropriateness of hypoglycaemic agent prescriptions.