A modified prescription-event monitoring study to assess the introduction of Seretide Evohaler in England: an example of studying risk monitoring in pharmacovigilance

Paradoxical bronchospasm: a rare adverse effect of fenoterol use

Paradoxical bronchospasm refers to the constriction of the airways after treatment with a sympathomimetic bronchodilator. Theoretically, bronchodilators, such as beta-agonist inhalers, act to ease asthma symptoms by relaxing the muscles surrounding the walls of the bronchial tubes, which relieve bronchial constriction. However, in rare instances, some patients develop respiratory distress or even respiratory failure after inhaled bronchodilator use, although the exact mechanism for this adverse effect is unknown. We report a male, with a known asthma history diagnosed for more than one decade, receiving fenoterol (Berotec®) for wheezing control and the worsening of his clinical condition immediately after bronchodilator administration.

Intensive Monitoring Studies for Assessing Medicines: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Intensive monitoring (IM) is one of the methods of post-marketing active surveillance based upon event monitoring, which has received interest in the current medicines regulatory landscape. For a specific period of time, IM involves primary data collection and is actively focused on gathering longitudinal information, mainly safety, since the first day of drug use. Objectives: To describe IM systems and studies' data published over 11-years period (2006-2016). Specifically, we reviewed study population/event surveillance, methodological approaches, limitations, and its applications in the real-world evidence generation data. Methods: We completed a systematic search of MEDLINE and EMBASE to identify studies published from 2006 to 2016, that used IM methodology. We extracted data using a standardized form and results were analyzed descriptively. The methodological quality of selected studies was assessed using the modified Downs and Black checklist. Results: From 1,400 screened citations, we identified 86 papers, corresponding to 69 different studies. Seventy percent of reviewed studies corresponded to established IM systems, of which, more than half were prescription event monitoring (PEM) and modified-PEM. Among non-established IM systems, vaccines were the most common studied drugs (n = 14). The median cohort size ranged from 488 (hospitals) to 10,479 (PEM) patients. Patients and caregivers were the event data source in 39.1% of studies. The mean overall quality score was similar between established and non-established IM. Conclusions: Over the study period, IM studies were implemented in 26 countries with different maturity levels of post-marketing surveillance systems. We identified two major limitations: only 20% of studies were conducted at hospital-level, which is a matter of concern, insofar as healthcare systems are facing a lack of access to new medicines at ambulatory care level. Additionally, IM access to data of drug exposure cohorts, either at identification or at follow-up stages, could somehow constitute a barrier, given the complexity of managerial, linkable, and privacy data issues.

Clinical Impact of a Digital Dose Counter Pressurized Metered-Dose Inhaler on Uncontrolled Asthma: Cross-Sectional, Observational, Surveillance Study

Background

In India, control of asthma with persistent symptoms remains a clinical enigma with likely incriminating factors including non- and pseudoadherence to the inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta2-agonists. The United States Food and Drug Administration guidance recommends the use of dose counter pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) with further mechanisms to track adherence and pseudoadherence in real-world settings.

Objective

Digital dose counter pMDIs (dpMDIs) offer simplified, reliable tracking of individual “actuated” dosages with “END” display at completion of the labelled therapeutic aerosol spray. The translational impact on symptom persistence with likely unwarranted exposure to the “Step up” strategy is often prevented if not treated, as in the cases of “pseudo” severe asthma. To further assess the real-world acceptance and clinical impact of dpMDIs in bronchial asthma including poorly controlled or uncontrolled bronchial asthma cases, a noninterventional observational study was performed.

Methods

This cross-sectional, retrospective, case cohort, observational study—the Drug Utilization Surveillance—of dpMDIs in bronchial asthma was conducted in September 2016 in an outpatient setting in India. The retrospective analysis was initiated and conducted as per the International Conference on Harmonization Good Clinical Practice principles and Declaration of Helsinki, following approval from the local ethics committee and registration in the Clinical Trial Registry of India.

Results

Consecutive cases of moderate-to-severe asthma with poor control (n=4575), diagnosed as per the Global Initiative for Asthma symptom scale at baseline and follow-up, were included. Patients under treatment using dpMDIs were enrolled from 500 centers across India and assessed by respiratory care specialists. Baseline asthma control was assessed as partly controlled (n=4575) or poorly controlled (n=2942). Per protocol analyses showed that asthma was well controlled with dpMDIs at 8 weeks in 92.7% of the cases (2727/2942, P<.001). Adverse events (n=106, 2%) of mild-to-moderate intensity were reported. Nebulization was required in two patients with episodic breathlessness who were discharged with no consequent sequelae. Post hoc analyses for patients with baseline poorly controlled asthma who “switched” exclusively to dpMDI monotherapy or a combination with xanthines or long-acting beta2-agonists showed a “well controlled” asthma status in 85.9% (500/582, P=.04), 95.4% (395/414, P=.048), and 80.3% (106/132, P=.28) of the cases, respectively. The patient acceptability criteria for an “empty” canister was well correlated with the clinical strategy to identify and avoid pseudoadherence in poorly controlled or difficult-to-treat asthma cases, especially in patients who “switched” exclusively to dpMDIs (n=582) and demonstrated responses of “Use till twenty dose display” (65/156, 41.6%), “Use till END display” (83/156, 53.2%), and “Use till LAST spray” (8/156, 5.1%).

Conclusions

dpMDIs offer simple, accurate, and reliable tracking of non- and pseudoadherence while highlighting incremental asthma-control rates in severe and pseudosevere asthma cases before risk assessment for further “add-on” therapy

Trial Registration

Clinical Trials Registry - India CTRI/2018/06/014595; http://www.ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pmaindet2.php? trialid=24583

Modified prescription-event monitoring studies: a tool for pharmacovigilance and risk management

Prescription-Event Monitoring (PEM) is a well established postmarketing surveillance technique designed to monitor the overall safety of newly marketed medicines as used in real-life clinical practice, usually in cohorts of at least 10 000 patients. At the Drug Safety Research Unit in the UK we are now moving towards a more targeted safety surveillance known as Modified PEM (M-PEM). These studies combine the advantages of conventional PEM studies (in monitoring general safety and identification of unexpected risks of a medicine) with that of a more targeted safety study that addresses specific questions (to better understand known or partially known risks with a medicine). Through the use of enhanced data collection questionnaires, M-PEM expands the range of applications of conventional PEM, which include more detailed characterization of real-life drug use, adherence to prescribing recommendations and targeted analysis of events requiring special monitoring by regulatory authorities. A particularly useful application is the evaluation of the safety of a medicine in special populations or subgroups (e.g. patients switching from another therapy or patients with a particular risk factor) or following important changes in the product's lifecycle (e.g. a licensing or formulation change). M-PEM studies therefore have an important contribution to make to pharmacovigilance and the risk management of medicines by providing valuable information on the use of new medications under real-life situations.

Prescription patterns in asthma patients initiating salmeterol in UK general practice: a retrospective cohort study using the General Practice Research Database (GPRD)

BACKGROUND

An association between salmeterol, a long-acting β(2)-agonist (LABA), use and rare serious asthma events or asthma mortality was observed in two large clinical trials. This has resulted in heightened scrutiny of LABAs and comprehensive reviews by regulatory agencies.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this retrospective observational cohort study was to better characterize salmeterol medication use patterns in the UK. We describe asthma prescription patterns in a cohort of patients (n =17,745) in the General Practice Research Database who initiated treatment with salmeterol-containing prescriptions between 2003 and 2006, including salmeterol and salmeterol/fluticasone propionate in a single device.

METHODS

Prescriptions patterns by medication class, including concurrent prescription of salmeterol with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), were described using 6-month intervals in the 1-year period before and after the salmeterol-containing index prescription.

RESULTS

In the 0- to 6-month and 7- to 12-month periods prior to initiation of the salmeterol-containing prescription, the cohort experienced worsening of asthma, measured by an increase in the proportion of patients with prescriptions for short-acting β-agonists [SABA] (73-89%), ICS (70-81%) and systemic corticosteroids (14-28%). Nearly all patients prescribed salmeterol were concurrently prescribed ICS (≥95% within 90 days). In the 12 months following initiation of the salmeterol-containing prescription, a decrease in asthma prescriptions was observed.

DISCUSSION

These results support the appropriate prescribing of salmeterol-containing medications, as per recommendations in asthma treatment guidelines in the UK.

CONCLUSION

Salmeterol was consistently prescribed as an add-on asthma-controller with an ICS for most patients, and was associated with improvements in asthma control, as indicated by decreases in SABA and systemic corticosteroid prescriptions following salmeterol introduction.

Systematic review of the safety of regular preventive asthma medications during pregnancy

OBJECTIVE

To review the safety of regular preventive asthma medications during pregnancy.

DATA SOURCES

The following databases were searched from inception to February 2011: Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE and CINAHL Plus.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION

The search was limited to human studies published in the English language. Titles of all articles were screened for relevance. Abstracts of relevant articles were scrutinized to confirm relevance before obtaining full text.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Selected articles were read by 2 authors and the accuracy of the data extracted was confirmed.

RESULTS

Thirty-three articles were included in the final review. Small sample size, missing data, inadequate control for confounding factors, and poor documentation of dosage range were common limitations of the studies reviewed. The use of inhaled corticosteroids, cromolyns, and long-acting β(2) agonists during pregnancy was not associated with any particular adverse event, although the fluticasone/salmeterol combination has been associated with poor outcomes in postmarketing studies. Congenital malformations have been reported with leukotriene receptor antagonist exposure during pregnancy, but those women also had exposure to other medications, including oral corticosteroids.

CONCLUSIONS

Some negative outcomes of preventive asthma medications have been reported, although their direct link with medication use is inconclusive. Selection of preventive medications for asthma management during pregnancy should be based on an assessment of the risks and benefits of medication use versus the risks of poorly controlled asthma.

Pharmacy student driven detection of adverse drug reactions in the community pharmacy setting

PURPOSE

Post-marketing safety studies of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) form an important part of pharmacovigilance. Countries having a formal pharmacovigilance system to a large extent rely on voluntary ADR reporting from health professionals through spontaneous report systems. The contribution of pharmacists in ADR reporting, although varies significantly among countries. Pharmacists in community pharmacies are in a unique position for detection of experienced ADRs by the drug users. The study reports from a study on community pharmacy internship students' proactive role in ADR detection through direct encountering and questioning with drug users.

METHOD

Pharmacy students undertaking internship in a community pharmacy were approached. Thirteen students from nine community pharmacies participated in the project as data collectors. Prior to the study students attended an educational seminar focusing on ADR detection and reporting in general. Ibuprofen was chosen as the drug of study. Pharmacy students approached recurrent drug users purchasing the drug. Participating users were asked about experienced ADRs linked to ibuprofen use. Reported ADRs were collected and analysed.

RESULTS

Hundred and twenty eight ibuprofen users participated in the study out of who thirty three reported forty five ADRs possibly linked to ibuprofen use. The reported ADRs followed earlier reported patterns of distribution with gastric pain showing up as the most commonly reported symptom followed by heartburn, nausea, diarrhoea and constipation.

CONCLUSIONS

Through adequate training community pharmacy internship students get competencies and are capable of detecting and reporting ADRs through direct questions to drug users.