EFFECT OF EDUCATIONAL AND POLICY INTERVENTIONS ON INSTITUTIONAL UTILIZATION OF WET NEBULIZATION RESPIRATORY DRUGS AND PORTABLE INHALERS

Main Article Content

Donna O Lowe
Heather Lummis
Ying Zhang
Ingrid S Sketris

Keywords

Respiratory drug therapy, wet nebulization, portable inhaler, drug utilization, educational intervention, time-series analysis

Abstract

Background


Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treatment guidelines support the preferential use of portable inhalers (PIs) over wet nebulization (WN) respiratory therapy. Hospital- and community-based educational initiatives and a community-based  provincial drug program policy change were previously implemented to promote the conversion of WN therapy to PI and spacer device use in Nova Scotia.


 Objective


To examine  the effect  of these interventions  on salbutamol,  ipratropium  bromide,  and spacer  device (Aerochamber®) use at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre (QEII HSC).


 Methods


We conducted a time-series analysis of drug utilization data from August 1998 to July 2005. We used two intervention  phases compared  to the pre-intervention  phase to determine  whether  the educational  and policy  interventions  were  associated  with  significant  changes  in  monthly  drug  and  spacer  device utilization rates at the QEII HSC (1000-bed teaching hospital; Halifax, Nova Scotia).


 Results


Salbutamol and ipratropium bromide PI use significantly increased in both intervention phases, compared to the pre-intervention phase. Mean (SD) defined daily doses/100 bed-days for salbutamol PI increased from 30.4 (0.4) in the pre-intervention phase to 34.6 (0.9) and 37.0 (0.4) in intervention phases I and II respectively (p<0.001 for both), and ipratropium bromide PI increased from 27.3 (3.5) to 32.8 (2.5) in intervention phase I (p=0.004) and 35.6 (3.5) in intervention phase II (p<0.001). However, a significant corresponding  decrease was observed with salbutamol  WN only. Mean (SD) Aerochamber®   units/100 bed-days significantly increased.


 Conclusions


Educational and policy interventions had limited effects on converting WN to PI use at the QEII HSC.

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