• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.313-320
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• 2022

Background: Serotonin syndrome is a life-threatening disease if not appropriately treated. This study aimed to investigate the prescription status of contraindicated drug combinations that cause serotonin syndrome and identify the related factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using nationwide claims data. Adult patients taking serotonergic drugs with Parkinson's disease or mental disorders were selected. Based on international medical databases (MDBs) and the Korean Drug Utilization Review (DUR), the status of prescribing contraindicated drug combinations that induce serotonin syndrome, the related factors, and the difference between international MDBs and the Korean DUR were analyzed. Results: Of the 49,773 study subjects, 163 (0.3%) were prescribed contraindicated serotonergic drug combinations based on international MDBs, and among them, only 105 (64.4%) were contraindicated by the Korean DUR. Positive influencing factors for prescribing contraindicated drug combinations include patient age between 65 and 74 and physician's specialties (neurologists, and orthopedists). Negative influencing factors were physician's specialty (internists) and medical institution (primary institutions). Conclusion: Despite the implementation of DUR, 3 out of 1,000 study subjects received contraindicated drug combinations that caused serotonin syndrome. Hence, it is necessary to comply with the DUR and improve it in accordance with international MDBs.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2007

Objectives : To assess whether the risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality rates for non-emergent and isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) patients exhibited a consistent trend from 2001 to 2003. Methods : The data used in this study came from CABG claims that were submitted to a Korean Health Insurance Review Agency (HIRA) in 2001, 2002, and 2003. Study datasets included data from 17 tertiary hospitals, which had at least 25 claims each year over 3 years. The inter-hospital differences in patients' risk-factors were identified and controlled in the risk-adjustment model. Actual and predicted mortality rates for each hospital were calculated in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2001+2002, and were then examined to identify consistent rate patterns over time. Kappa analysis was applied to assess the agreements between rates. Results : Hospitals with lower-than-expected inpatient mortality rates showed more consistent rates than those with higher-than-expected mortality rates. The mortality rates that were calculated based on data obtained over multiple years had less variation among hospitals than rates based on single year data. Based on the Kappa score, the highest agreement was found when the rates were compared between the 2-year combined data (2001+2002) and 2003. Conclusions : Consistent patterns over 3 years were most evident for hospitals which had lower-than expected mortality rates. Policy makers can use this information to identify the degree of outcomes in hospitals and help motivate or channel the behaviors of providers.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2022

Objectives We analyzed visiting patterns to medical institutions and cost per visit according to the common cold patients aged 0-19 years. We analyzed Korean medical treatment for common cold. Methods Using the Pediatric Patient Sample data of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA-PPS), we analyzed the data on health insurance claims of approximately 1 million people from 2017 to 2019. The data included the number of patients who visited the hospital due to common cold for the first and second time, the ratio of second visits by type of medical institution, and the status of prescriptions in Korean medical institutions. Results The number of patients visiting healthcare providers for common cold was higher in Western medical institutions than in Korean medical institutions. However, the number of second visits was higher in Korean medical institutions. Acupuncture is the most commonly used medical treatment in Korean medical institutions for common cold. Herbal medicine for common cold was usually prescribed for 2-3 days for children and adolescents. Conclusions Although the average medical cost of Korean medical institutions was higher than that of Western medical institutions, the rate of second visits to Korean medical institutions was higher because of the demand for Korean medical treatment

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.30-38
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• 2022

Purpose: The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) in South Korea initiated a quality assessment (QA) program for blood transfusion healthcare services in 2020 to ensure patient safety and appropriate blood use. This study examines the quality of blood transfusion services since the first national QA program for blood transfusion services in Korea. Methods: We analyzed HIRA claims and QA investigation data based on inpatient medical records from all tertiary, general, and primary hospitals between October 2020 and March 2021. The target population was patients aged 18 years and older who received either total knee arthroplasty or red blood cell transfusion. The QA indicators for transfusion healthcare service consisted of four quality indicators and four monitoring indicators. Results: We analyzed the results of QA indicators for transfusion service from the medical records of 189,668 patients from 1,171hospitals and expressed indicators as proportions. The average results for evaluation indicators were as follows: transfusion checklist presence, 64.8%; irregular antibody tests, 61.8%; transfusions in which the hemoglobin levels before transfusion met the transfusion guidelines for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty, 20.6%, and transfusions in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty, 59.3%. The average results for monitoring indicators were as follows: transfusion management implementation in medical institutions, 56.9%; preoperative anemia management in anemia patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty, 43.9%; one-unit transfusions, 82.5%; and the transfusion index. Conclusion: The quality of blood transfusion healthcare varied and the assessment revealed that there is scope for improvement. Hospitals require more effective blood transfusion management and this can be facilitated by providing feedback on the QA results about blood transfusion healthcare services to medical institutions, and by disclosing the results to the public.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.268-277
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• 2021

Background: Most antipsychotic drugs studies have been mainly conducted on side effects, randomized clinical trials, utilization rates, and trends. But there have been few studies on the influencing factors in elderly patients. The purpose of this study was to analyze the influencing factors on the outpatient prescription of antipsychotic drugs in the elderly patients. Methods: Active ingredients of antipsychotic drugs in Korea were selected according to the Korean Pharmaceutical Information Center (KPIC)'s classification. Data source was Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) claims data in 2020 and target patient group was the elderly patient group. We extracted patients who have been prescribed one or more antipsychotic drugs and visited only one medical institution. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square, t-test, negative binomial regression. Results: A number of outpatients were 245,197 and prescriptions were 1,379,092. Most characteristics of patients were 75-85 year's old, female, health insurance type, no disease (dementia, schizophrenia), atypical drugs, cci score (>2) and characteristics of medical institution were neurology in specialty, rural region, general hospitals. Results of regression showed that patient's characteristics and medical center characteristics had significant effect on the outpatient prescription of antipsychotic drugs in the elderly patients. Conclusion: This study suggests that national policy of antipsychotic drugs in the elderly patients, with the consideration of the patients' and medical institutions' characteristics, is needed.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.81 no.3
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• pp.175-186
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• 2018

Pneumonia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Since 2014, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) has assessed the overall quality of care among hospitalized adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) provided by all medical institutions in Korea. A committee of the Korea Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases developed the hospital inpatient quality measures set for CAP consisting of eight core measures and five monitoring measures. The composite measure score was calculated. The medical records of hospitalized adult patients ages 18 years or more with CAP from October to December 2014 were evaluated. The data of 523 hospitals (42 tertiary hospitals [8.0%], 256 general hospitals [49%], and 225 hospitals [43.0%]) and 15,432 cases (tertiary hospitals, 1,673 cases [10.8%]; general hospitals, 8,803 cases [57.1%]; hospitals, 4,956 cases [32.1%]) were analyzed. We found large variations among institutions in terms of performance of care measures for CAP. For the composite measure score, the mean value was 66.7 (tertiary hospitals, 98.5; general hospitals, 79.2; hospitals, 43.8). Despite significant differences in measure scores between tertiary, general hospitals and hospitals, no significant differences were found in mortality between hospitals. Further studies are needed to determine the care measures appropriate for CAP.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2019

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory disease that manifests as joint damage or athletic disability via sustained inflammation of the synovial membrane. The risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is higher in RA patients. This study aimed at evaluating the association between CVD comorbidities and RA by comparing a pharmacotherapy group with a non-pharmacotherapy group. Methods: Patient sample data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA-NPS-2016) were used. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) using the propensity score was used to minimize the differences in patient characteristics. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk of CVD comorbidities. Results: The analyses included 1,207,213 patients, of which 33,122 (2.8%) had RA. The odds ratios (OR) of CVD comorbidities were increased in RA patients; ischemic heart disease (IHD: OR 1.75; 95% CI 1.73, 1.77), cerebral infarction (CERI: OR 1.28; 95% CI 1.26, 1.30), hypertension (HTN: OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.43, 1.45), diabetes mellitus (DM: OR 2.04; 95% CI 2.03, 2.06), and dyslipidemia (DL: OR 3.49; 95% CI 3.47, 3.51). The ORs of IHD, CERI, HTN, and DM in the traditional DMARD and biologic treatment groups were decreased, compared with those in the non-pharmacotherapy group. Conclusions: Thus, CVD risk was higher in RA patients, considering age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Appropriate pharmacotherapy could decrease the risk of CVD comorbidities in RA patients.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.276-289
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• 2022

Objectives: Child and adolescent sleep is an important factor for brain and physical development. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the prevalence of sleep disorders and nonorganic sleep disorders in children and adolescents and determine the type of utilization of medical institutions. This study analyzed the prevalence and type of medical institutions in Korean children and adolescents with sleep disorders and nonorganic sleep disorders. Methods: This study used data recorded in the Health Insurance Review and Assessment-National Patient Sample (HIRA-NPS) database from 2010 to 2017. Details of medical institution type and patient's sex, age, and treatment type were extracted for patients younger than 20 years with sleep disorders and nonorganic sleep disorders. Results: Among 2,536,478 patients under age 20, we identified 3,772 patients with sleep disorders or nonorganic sleep disorders. From 2010 to 2017, the prevalence of sleep disorders in children and adolescents was 0.07% to 0.09%. The utilization rate of Korean medical institutions was 30.47%. The prevalence of nonorganic sleep disorders and the utilization rate of Korean medical institutions were 0.06% to 0.08% and 45.99%, respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of sleep disorders and nonorganic sleep disorders in the under-20 population was 0.14% to 0.16%. More than 70% of patients with nonorganic sleep disorder who were younger than 9 years used Korean medical institutions.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.178-184
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• 2022

Background: Migraine is one of the leading causes of poor quality of life and disability, and migraine incidences in pediatrics are increasing. Proper medication is important for the preventive and acute treatment of migraine. This study aimed to identify the current status of prescribed medication in pediatric patients with migraine. Methods: We used data from a sample of pediatric patients from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA-PPS-2018) and analyzed the status of prescription drugs and frequency of visits to medical institutions with migraine diagnoses in pediatric patients. Results: A total of 12,228 pediatric patients diagnosed with migraine during 2018 were analyzed. Among these patients, 7,170 (58.64%) were girls and 9,510 (77.77%) were adolescents. Additionally, 9,157 patients (74.89%) received acute treatment, and 592 patients (4.84%) received combination therapy with analgesics and triptans. Acetaminophen for acute treatment and flunarizine for preventive treatment were the most commonly prescribed. In most children and adolescents, acute treatment drugs were prescribed for less than 14 days. Conclusion: Analgesics, such as acetaminophen or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, were prescribed frequently for acute treatment in pediatric patients with migraine. The drug prescription duration was within the recommended range, indicating a low risk of overdose. For preventive treatment, clinically studied medication for pediatric patients with migraine was used.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.112-123
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• 2013

Background: Under the risk of financial sustainability of National Health Insurance, Korean government attempted a series of regulations over pharmaceutical prices. The first price-cut was implemented to the hyperlipidemial treatments, and the prices of statins were reduced on 15th, April in 2009. The purposes of this study are 1) to investigate the impact of this price-cut on pharmaceutical expenditure, and 2) to identify the factors associated with drug-switch among statins. Methods: Using the national patients sample data, this study conducted time series analysis on the expenditures, prices, and volumes of statin drugs. To understand the factors associated with drug-switch, the multinomial logit model was analyzed at the patients level. Results: The results of time series analysis demonstrated that the price-cut of hyperlipidemic medicines did not lead to the reduced expenditure, suggesting the increased volume was the major cause. The multinomial logit analysis identified the switch of healthcare provider as the significant factor that was highly associated with drug-switch, implying the physicians' preference was the major motivation of drug-switch. Conclusion: Without control of utilization, price regulation itself could not reduce pharmaceutical expenditure. This suggests that the pharmaceutical regulations should be implemented on the basis of understanding of provider behaviors. The findings of this study will form the first step for further empirical studies.