National audit of antidote stocking in UK emergency departments.
accident & emergency medicine
audit
audit, self-inspection
clinical pharmacy
protocols & guidelines
Journal
European journal of hospital pharmacy : science and practice
ISSN: 2047-9956
Titre abrégé: Eur J Hosp Pharm
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101578294
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
07 2021
07 2021
Historique:
received:
15
05
2019
revised:
20
06
2019
accepted:
26
06
2019
entrez:
24
6
2021
pubmed:
25
6
2021
medline:
2
4
2022
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Previous audits of antidote stocking in UK hospitals have demonstrated variable but improving compliance with joint Royal College of Emergency Medicine and National Poisons Information Service guidance on antidote availability in emergency departments. The guidance was updated in 2017. To provide a current picture of compliance with the 2017 antidote guidance and compare this to previous audits. Questionnaires were distributed to all hospitals in the UK with an emergency department via medicines information and regional pharmacy procurement networks. Data were collected on availability and stock levels of category A (immediately available) and category B (available within 1 hour) antidotes. Additionally, data were collected on holdings of category C (held supra-regionally) antidotes and arrangements for sourcing these if not stocked locally. 233 hospitals were surveyed and 178 replies (76.4%) were received. There were 73 hospitals (41.7%) fully compliant with guidance for category A, 34 hospitals (19.1%) for category B and 18 hospitals (10.1%) for both categories A and B antidotes. Few hospitals stocked category C antidotes (1.1%-34.8%). Evidence of formalised regional holding arrangements for category C antidotes, as advised in the guidance, was noted in some areas but many regions remain without such agreements. Most hospitals remain not fully compliant with stocking recommendations for categories A and B antidotes, with limited recent improvement. Category C antidotes are stocked by few hospitals although awareness of where these can be sourced appears to be increasing. Emergency departments should review their antidote stocking arrangements to ensure compliance with guidance. Formal arrangements for stocking of the more rarely used category C antidotes at a regional level are also required, where not already in existence, in order to assure their availability in an equitable way across the country.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Previous audits of antidote stocking in UK hospitals have demonstrated variable but improving compliance with joint Royal College of Emergency Medicine and National Poisons Information Service guidance on antidote availability in emergency departments. The guidance was updated in 2017.
AIM
To provide a current picture of compliance with the 2017 antidote guidance and compare this to previous audits.
METHODS
Questionnaires were distributed to all hospitals in the UK with an emergency department via medicines information and regional pharmacy procurement networks. Data were collected on availability and stock levels of category A (immediately available) and category B (available within 1 hour) antidotes. Additionally, data were collected on holdings of category C (held supra-regionally) antidotes and arrangements for sourcing these if not stocked locally.
RESULTS
233 hospitals were surveyed and 178 replies (76.4%) were received. There were 73 hospitals (41.7%) fully compliant with guidance for category A, 34 hospitals (19.1%) for category B and 18 hospitals (10.1%) for both categories A and B antidotes. Few hospitals stocked category C antidotes (1.1%-34.8%). Evidence of formalised regional holding arrangements for category C antidotes, as advised in the guidance, was noted in some areas but many regions remain without such agreements.
CONCLUSIONS
Most hospitals remain not fully compliant with stocking recommendations for categories A and B antidotes, with limited recent improvement. Category C antidotes are stocked by few hospitals although awareness of where these can be sourced appears to be increasing. Emergency departments should review their antidote stocking arrangements to ensure compliance with guidance. Formal arrangements for stocking of the more rarely used category C antidotes at a regional level are also required, where not already in existence, in order to assure their availability in an equitable way across the country.
Identifiants
pubmed: 34162673
pii: ejhpharm-2019-001988
doi: 10.1136/ejhpharm-2019-001988
pmc: PMC8239273
doi:
Substances chimiques
Antidotes
0
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
217-222Informations de copyright
© European Association of Hospital Pharmacists 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Competing interests: None declared.
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