Article Sidebar
Published:
Jan 26, 2022Keywords:
Article Details
Submission of a manuscript to this journal is a representation that the manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
All authors named in each manuscript would be required to sign a form (to be supplied by the Editor) so that they may retain their copyright in the article but to assign to us (the Publishers) and its licensees in perpetuity, in all forms, formats and media (whether known or created in the future) to (i) publish, reproduce, distribute, display and store the contribution, (ii) translate the contribution into other languages, create adaptations, reprints, include within collections and create summaries, extracts and/or abstracts of the contribution, (iii) create any other derivative works(s) based on the contribution, (iv) to exploit all subsidiary rights in the contribution, (v) the inclusion of electronic links from the contribution to third party material where-ever it may be located, and (vi) license any thrid party to do any or all of the above.
Main Article Content
A decade of experience in prescribing hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin: A retrospective analysis of medication queries in a Saudi drug and poison information center
Abstract
Purpose: To analyze drug information queries related to treatment with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), chloroquine (CQ), and azithromycin submitted to a local drug and poison information center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: This retrospective study explored HCQ-, CQ-, and azithromycin-related inquiries submitted to the Drug and Poison Information Center at the Security Forces Hospital Program, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. These inquiries were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The quantitative analysis included the frequency of each request per year, the profession of the requesters, and the source material classification. A thematic analysis was also performed to categorize requests from healthcare professionals.
Results: The Drug and Poison Information Center received 10,685 usable inquiries between 2005 and 2018. There were 160 CQ-, HCQ-, and azithromycin-related queries. Most requests were made by pharmacists (61.25 %). The main sources used to answer the queries were tertiary (92.31 %) and primary (7.69 %) sources. In the dataset, three major topics were identified: administration and dosing, safety, and pregnancy and lactation, each associated with a query subset.
Conclusion: These results emphasize the importance of continued education on antimicrobial agents in general, and HCQ, CQ, and azithromycin in particular. The three items have been identified as focus areas that policymakers can us to ensure the quality of future medication prescriptions.
