• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.120-127
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• 2014

Background: Since December 2010, online computerized prospective drug utilization review (pDUR) has been implemented in Korea. pDUR involves the review of each prescription before the medication is dispensed to the individual patient. The pDUR is performed electronically by Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA), which is a Korean governmental agency, and then HIRA provides medical institutions and pharmacies with information that can be helpful to them in preventing potential drug problems such as drug/drug interactions or ingredient duplication. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the Korean pDUR implementation on the proportion of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) using claims data from HIRA. Methods: A before-after comparison of the prevalence of DDIs between prescription was conducted, using HIRA administrative claims data of medical institution from January 2010 to December 2011. The analysis unit was the prescription issued and pairs before and after. The main outcome measures were the proportion of DDIs within- (control group) or between- physician encounters. To examine the difference, a paired t-test was applied. Results: We found that DDIs proportion between prescription decreased significantly (t=3.04, p=0.0026) after the implementation of pDUR, whereas there is no significant reduction within prescription (t=1.15, p=0.2518). With respect to the prevalence of DDIs between drug groups, the most dramatic reduction was occurred between 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors and anti-fungal agents. Conclusion: It seems effective that giving a direct feedback to prescribers by a prospective DUR. Further research is needed to assess the impact of DUR to final outcomes such as hospitalization.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.128-138
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• 2017

Background: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of differential coinsurance policy on prescription drug coverage of outpatients by types of medical institutions. Methods: In this study, we used a sample cohort database of the National Health Insurance Service and frequency analysis and marginal logistic regression model using generalized estimating equation were used for statistical analysis. Results: The summary on the major research is followed. First, about 16% of patients who used only tertiary or general hospital due to 52 ambulatory care sensitive conditions before policy implementation moved to hospitals and clinics. However, about 57% of them still use tertiary or general hospital. Second, the factors influencing the utilization of hospitals and clinics after the implementation of the policy were gender, age, and income level. As a result, the policy is effective to reduce the medical use of outpatient mental patients in tertiary or general hospital, but the effect is not significant. Conclusion: Therefore, in order to achieve the purpose of the policy for establishing the health care delivery system, it is necessary to adjust the co-payment so as to feel the burden on the co-payment when the outpatient for 52 ambulatory care sensitive conditions is used at the tertiary or general hospital.

• Food Industry And Nutrition
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.6-7
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• 2015

• Safe Food
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.11-18
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• 2008

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.2-7
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• 2016

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.473-487
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• 2011

We attempted to define the sources of sodium intake for the Korean population at prepared dish level to provide a basis for developing sustainable nutrition policies and feasible programs for sodium intake reduction. Dietary intake data from 2008 and 2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was used in the analysis for sodium intake sources. Sodium intake from individual dish consumed by each subject was calculated and used in delineating major sodium sources at dish and dish group level for sub-populations of different sex and age. Also, sodium intake was compared between eaters and non-eaters of some specific dish groups with considerable contribution to total sodium intake. The number of subjects included in the analysis was 18,022 and mean sodium intake was 4,600 mg/capita/day. Major sources of sodium intake at dish group level were in the following order: kimchi (1125 mg, 24.5%), noodles (572 mg, 12.4%), soups (488 mg, 10.6%), stews (399 mg, 8.7%), and cooked rice (284 mg, 6.2%). The magnitude of contribution to total sodium intake by soups and stews was different by age group. Sodium intake difference between eaters and non-eaters was much larger for kimchi group (2,343 mg for male, 1,452 mg for female) than for soups or stews. Interaction between consumption of aforementioned specific dish groups and age was highly significant (p < 0.0005) for both sexes. This study revealed an importance of having not only the control over sodium content of foods/dishes, but also the customized approach for different groups of population to accomplish an appreciable reduction in sodium intake.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.147-168
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• 2006

Technological innovation has been regarded as the core competence for the economic growth of individual, as well as organization and country. Pharmaceutical innovation, what we call new medicines, influence people's longevity and productivity by increasing output per hour worked. Therefore, using claims data on virtually all the drugs and diseases of over 550,000 people enrolled in National Health Insurance Program in Korea, we examined the impact of the vintage (original FDA and KFDA approval year) of drugs used to treat a patients from July 1st to December 31st in 2002 on the patient's mortality at the end of 2004, controlling for demographic characteristics(age and sex), utilization of medical services, and the nature and complexity of illness. We found that people using newer drugs are less likely to die at the end of 2004, conditional on covariates. The estimated mortality rates were declining with respect to drug vintage for 1970s, 1980s and 1990s and highly significant. In addition to estimating the model for the entire sample, we estimated the model separately for several disease categories classified by Korean Classification of Disease. Estimates of three drug vintage variables for subgroups of people with (1)neoplasms, (2)endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases, and (3)the diseases of circulatory system displayed similar patterns.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.18-27
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• 2008

This study investigated social relief schemes for serious adverse drug reactions in foreign countries and deduced lessons and implications for Korea to implement the scheme. A social relief scheme for serious adverse drug reactions provides reliefs for diseases and such health effects as disabilities or deaths that were caused by adverse reactions to pharmaceuticals prescribed at hospitals and clinics as well as those purchased at pharmacies notwithstanding their proper use. The US and the UK do not have specific relief schemes for adverse drug reactions but apply rules of strict liability or negligence. New Zealand and Nordic countries provide no-fault compensation schemes for health effects or injuries caused by medical treatments or medicinal products. Japan and Taiwan have operated the schemes since 1980 and 2000, respectively. In designing the scheme in Korea, we suggested that cases eligible for relief be confined to serious adverse reactions such as death or disability and then extended to diseases. It is desirable to encourage the reporting system of adverse drug reactions and quality use of medicines for the relief scheme to work efficiently.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.166-190
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• 1998

This study presents the status on drug prescription for clinic outpatients' bronchitis, gastritis, and gastric ulcer, and also the physician factors that affects their prescriptions. In this research project the physician factors are as follows: their demographic features, their work related features, education related features, drug information related features and drug promotion related features. The variables in drug prescriptions are drug expenses, daily drug expenses, days of medication, the highest price of the drugs used and the number of the different drugs used. Analysis of the use of prescription drugs was performed on NFMI(National Federation of Medical Insurance) 1994 medical expense claim data. Data on physicians' characteristics were collected by mailing surveys. Patients with secondary diseases were excluded. In this study, 388 adults with bronchitis, 1,038 children with bronchitis, 1,158 patients with gastritis, 369 patients with gastric ulcer were included. The older physicians tend to allow the lower drug costs: this explains that the older doctors who are more experienced less depend on the medicines. It can be also explained that doctors are likely to use the medicines that had been used for their intern and resident practice/training period. General practitioners give more intensive prescription compared to specialists. And specialists prescribed medicines to patients for longer period. The doctors' prescriptions for patients are largely affected by commercial sources. So objective and reliable sources for drug information is needed for patients' benefits. Physician factors explain better at the daily drug expenses, the drug price and the number of different drugs than days of medication. Gastric ulcer are better explained by the prescription model adopted in this study than other diseases.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.239-243
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• 2013

Salmonella Enteritidis is responsible for causing foodborne diseases upon consumption of egg products. While cases of S. Enteritidis isolation from eggs have been reported in other countries, no such cases have previously been reported in Korea. In this study, we report the first isolation and identification of S. Enteritidis from domestically distributed eggs in Korea. Eggs were collected from eight countrywide grocery stores during different seasons between 2011 and 2012. Egg contents and washing solution of egg shells were incubated in buffered peptone water, and the enriched broth was further enriched in tetrathionate broth and Rappaport-Vassiliadis. The secondary enriched broth was streaked on xylose lysine desoxycholate agar. The suspected colonies were confirmed to S. Enteritidis by a biochemical test, serotyping, and PCR test. Genetic relatedness among the isolates was analyzed using Diversilab Salmonella kit. Three strains of S. Enteritidis were isolated from egg contents and egg shells collected from grocery stores of the Eumseong-city in the fall of 2011. All three stains showed resistance to chloramphenicol, streptomycin, nalidixic acid, and ampicillin by the disk diffusion method. In addition, the isolates showed more than 99% DNA homology, indicating that they were presumably identical strains. Therefore, there is a requirement to monitor and control against S. Enteritidis from eggs in Korea.