[Drug-eluting stents: do we respect the on-label use in our daily practice?]

[Computerized prescription for medical devices: examples, interest and limits]

INTRODUCTION

Related to the good practice contract implemented in hospitals, the prescription dedicated to medical devices, such as pharmaceuticals, could promote safety and good practice.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

We attempted to implement a computerized prescription for medical devices. In order to illustrate the method, two examples were selected: the Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) and the Drug Eluting Stents (DES).

RESULTS

In partnership with the medical teams was elaborated a computerized protocol which included all the needed items for the good use of NPWT. For DES, a pre-existing questionnaire was used. We updated it in order to integrate new items such as the prescriber's name, the patient's name, the characteristics of the wound, the DES references and the indications.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Computerized prescriptions for high-risk and expensive medical devices seem to be an interesting approach to guarantee the patient care safety and to reduce the budget impacts. In order to monitor the indications funded as fee-for-service medical devices, a prescription will emerge as a gold standard in the future in France. Eventually, this study highlights a new activity of clinical pharmacy for hospital pharmacists dealing with medical devices.

[Use of drug-eluting stents: impact of French recommendations on the rate of clinical restenosis at 2 years]

AIMS

The drug-eluting stents (DES) reduce restenosis rate compared to bare metal stents. The clinical efficacy is greater in some subgroups of patients at high risk of restenosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of drug-eluting stent based on the recommendations of the French Society of Cardiology and its impact on the restenosis rate at 2 years.

METHODS

We included all patients who had coronary angioplasty with stenting in 2008. We evaluated the percentage of drug-eluting stent, the proportion of patients for which the French recommendations have been followed, and the rate of clinical restenosis at 2 years.

RESULTS

Four hundred and seventy-nine angioplasties were performed in 2008. The percentage of drug-eluting stents was 21.8%. Acute coronary syndrome with or without elevation of the ST segment were the main indications of angioplasty (67.9%). For the 115 drug-eluting stents implanted in 2008, French recommendations were followed in 93% of cases (107 stents). For 89 patients who received DES, these recommendations were followed in 91% of cases (81 patients). The clinical restenosis rate at 2 years evaluated in 89% of patients was 5.6%. The rate of in-stent restenosis in bare metal and drug-eluting stents were 5.9 and 3.7%.

CONCLUSION

The use of DES in our center is characterized by a small rate and a good compliance of the recommendations of the French Society of Cardiology. This strategy is associated with a low rate of restenosis at 2 years of follow-up.