OBJECTIVE: To illustrate the best approach to accurate representation of temporal evolution of drug consumption, when confronted with changes over time in the Defined Daily Dose (DDD) measurement unit. METHOD: As an example, drug consumption (2001-2005) at the University Hospital Rijeka was expressed with the corresponding DDD in each year; and with the DDD value of the last year of the observation time window. By visual appraisal, results with both methods were compared with the graph of drug consumption trends expressed in physical units (mg, IU, etc.). RESULTS: Of 20 drugs for which the DDD value has changed in the 5 year period, 5 were used in Rijeka hospital: erythropoietin parenteral, budesonide nasal spray, repaglinide oral, amoxicillin with clavulanic acid parenteral, and fentanyl transdermal. Graphs for individual drugs with the year by year method showed artificial jerks in the years proceeding the year of DDD change. Representation of total hospital consumption did not differ notably with the two methods. CONCLUSION: Drug consumption data should be calculated with the latest DDD value in the time window. The policy of the World Health Organisation to keep changes to the system of DDD to a minimum should be continued.
OBJECTIVE: To illustrate the best approach to accurate representation of temporal evolution of drug consumption, when confronted with changes over time in the Defined Daily Dose (DDD) measurement unit. METHOD: As an example, drug consumption (2001-2005) at the University Hospital Rijeka was expressed with the corresponding DDD in each year; and with the DDD value of the last year of the observation time window. By visual appraisal, results with both methods were compared with the graph of drug consumption trends expressed in physical units (mg, IU, etc.). RESULTS: Of 20 drugs for which the DDD value has changed in the 5 year period, 5 were used in Rijeka hospital: erythropoietin parenteral, budesonide nasal spray, repaglinide oral, amoxicillin with clavulanic acid parenteral, and fentanyl transdermal. Graphs for individual drugs with the year by year method showed artificial jerks in the years proceeding the year of DDD change. Representation of total hospital consumption did not differ notably with the two methods. CONCLUSION: Drug consumption data should be calculated with the latest DDD value in the time window. The policy of the World Health Organisation to keep changes to the system of DDD to a minimum should be continued.
Authors: S Natsch; Y A Hekster; R de Jong; E R Heerdink; R M Herings; J W van der Meer Journal: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis Date: 1998-01 Impact factor: 3.267
Authors: Eili Y Klein; Katie K Tseng; Simon A Levin; Herman Goossens; Ramanan Laxminarayan Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2018-11-13 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Brian Godman; William Shrank; Morten Andersen; Christian Berg; Iain Bishop; Thomas Burkhardt; Kristina Garuoliene; Harald Herholz; Roberta Joppi; Marija Kalaba; Ott Laius; Julie Lonsdale; Rickard E Malmström; Jaana E Martikainen; Vita Samaluk; Catherine Sermet; Ulrich Schwabe; Inês Teixeira; Lesley Tilson; F Cankat Tulunay; Vera Vlahović-Palčevski; Kamila Wendykowska; Bjorn Wettermark; Corinne Zara; Lars L Gustafsson Journal: Front Pharmacol Date: 2011-01-07 Impact factor: 5.810
Authors: Wenjie Zeng; Alexander E Finlayson; Sushma Shankar; Winnie de Bruyn; Brian Godman Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2015-01-22 Impact factor: 2.655
Authors: Brian Godman; Max Petzold; Kathleen Bennett; Marion Bennie; Anna Bucsics; Alexander E Finlayson; Andrew Martin; Marie Persson; Jutta Piessnegger; Emanuel Raschi; Steven Simoens; Corinne Zara; Corrado Barbui Journal: BMC Med Date: 2014-06-13 Impact factor: 8.775
Authors: James C Moon; Brian Godman; Max Petzold; Samantha Alvarez-Madrazo; Kathleen Bennett; Iain Bishop; Anna Bucsics; Ulrik Hesse; Andrew Martin; Steven Simoens; Corinne Zara; Rickard E Malmström Journal: Front Pharmacol Date: 2014-10-08 Impact factor: 5.810
Authors: Brian Godman; William Shrank; Bjorn Wettermark; Morten Andersen; Iain Bishop; Thomas Burkhardt; Kristina Garuolienè; Marija Kalaba; Ott Laius; Roberta Joppi; Catherine Sermet; Ulrich Schwabe; Inês Teixeira; F Cankat Tulunay; Kamila Wendykowska; Corinne Zara; Lars L Gustafsson Journal: Pharmaceuticals (Basel) Date: 2010-08-05
Authors: Brian Godman; Anna Bucsics; Thomas Burkhardt; Jutta Piessnegger; Manuela Schmitzer; Corrado Barbui; Emanuel Raschi; Marion Bennie; Lars L Gustafsson Journal: Front Pharmacol Date: 2013-01-07 Impact factor: 5.810