The British pharmacopœia

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Development, implementation and cost-effectiveness of a protocol for review of combination diuretic prescribing

Aims To determine the extent of inappropriate prescribing of combination diuretics and the cost implications of protocol implementation. Methods Pharmacist-run medication review clinics in two general practices in Bradford, UK. Results Sixty-one patients, mean ± s.d. age 75.8 ± 12.0 years, were reviewed. Thirty-six met protocol criteria; 30 (49.2%) patients had their potassium-sparing diuretics (PSDs) discontinued. Mean (95% confidence interval) reduction in serum potassium concentrations after intervention in these 30 patients was 0.26 (0.09, 0.43) mmol l-1 (P < 0.01). Twenty-eight (93.3%) patients were within the reference range at follow-up; none was below. Conclusions Of prescribed PSDs, 59% were found to be unnecessary. Using the developed protocol potentially improves drug safety and enables cost savings

Use of drug therapy in the management of symptomatic ureteric stones in hospitalised adults : a multicentre, placebo-controlled, randomised controlled trial and cost-effectiveness analysis of a calcium channel blocker (nifedipine) and an alpha-blocker (tamsulosin) (the SUSPEND trial)

Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme This report The research reported in this issue of the journal was funded by the HTA programme as project number 08/71/01. The contractual start date was in June 2010. The draft report began editorial review in November 2014 and was accepted for publication in April 2015. The authors have been wholly responsible for all data collection, analysis and interpretation, and for writing up their work. The HTA editors and publisher have tried to ensure the accuracy of the authors’ report and would like to thank the reviewers for their constructive comments on the draft document. However, they do not accept liability for damages or losses arising from material published in this report.Peer reviewedPublisher PD