The Impact of International Nonproprietary Names Integration on Prescribing Reimbursement Medicines for Arterial Hypertension and Analysis of Medication Errors in Latvia

Anna Gavrilova (), Maksims Zolovs, Gustavs Latkovskis and Inga Urtāne
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Anna Gavrilova: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Riga Stradins University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia
Maksims Zolovs: Statistical Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Riga Stradins University, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia
Gustavs Latkovskis: Institute of Cardiology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Latvia, LV-1586 Riga, Latvia
Inga Urtāne: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Riga Stradins University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 16, 1-9

Abstract: The use of international nonproprietary names (INNs) has been mandatory for prescriptions of state-reimbursed drugs in Latvia since 1 April 2020. In a retrospective analysis, we aimed to examine the impact of the new regulation on changes in the prescribing and dispensing practice of antihypertensive agents with an example of bisoprolol or/and perindopril and their combinations. All state-reimbursed bisoprolol and/or perindopril prescriptions for arterial hypertension were evaluated in two time periods: 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 and 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021. The proportion of INN prescriptions increased from 2.1% to 92.3% ( p < 0.001, φ = 0.903). The rate of fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) increased from 60.8% to 66.5% ( p < 0.001, φ = 0.059). The rate of medication errors was 0.6%. The most common (80.6%) error was that the dispensed medicine dose was larger or smaller than indicated on the prescription. In addition, prescribing an FDC medicine increased the chance of making an error by 2.5 times on average. Regulatory changes dramatically affected the medicine-prescribing habits of INNs. The increase in FDC prescription rates may align with the recommendations of the 2018 ESC/ESH guidelines. The proportion of total errors is estimated as low, but control mechanisms are needed to prevent them.

Keywords: eHealth; fixed-dose combination; FDC; electronic prescription; database; pharmacists; dispensing; regulatory changes; primary care (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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