JAMDA
Volume 10, Issue 6 , Pages 436-439 , July 2009

Assessing the Quality of Prescribing and Monitoring Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents in the Nursing Home Setting

  • An-Kwok I. Wong, BSE

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
    • ,
  • Scott B. Stephens, RPh

      Affiliations

    • Rx Partners-LTC, LLC, Community Provider Services, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Bridgeville, PA
    • ,
  • Monica B. Aspinall, PharmD

      Affiliations

    • Rx Partners-LTC, LLC, Community Provider Services, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Bridgeville, PA
    • ,
  • Shyam Visweswaran, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
    • ,
  • Joseph T. Hanlon, PharmD, MS

      Affiliations

    • Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
    • Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS), Pittsburgh, PA
    • Department of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
    • Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VAPHS, Pittsburgh, PA
    • ,
  • Steven M. Handler, MD, MS

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
    • Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
    • Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS), Pittsburgh, PA
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to Steven M. Handler, MD, MS, Department of Biomedical Informatics and Division of Geriatric Medicine, M-183 Parkvale Building, 200 Meyran Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

References 

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  5. Culleton B, Manns B, Zhang J, et al. Impact of anemia on hospitalization and mortality in older adults. Blood. 2006;107:3841–3846
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  9. Lipschitz D. Medical and functional consequences of anemia in the elderly. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2003;51:S10–S13
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  12. Erslev A, Besarab A. Erythropoietin in the pathogenesis and treatment of the anemia of chronic renal failure. Kidney Int. 1997;51:622–630
  13. Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa) [package insert] . Thousand Oaks, CA: Amgen Manufacturing; 2007;
  14. Procrit (epoetin alfa) [package insert] . Raritan, NJ: Ortho Biotech; 2007;
  15. US Food and Drug Administration. Information on Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents (ESAs) Epoetin alfa (marketed as Procrit, Epogen) Darbepoetin alfa (marketed as Aranesp). Available at: http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/RHE/default.htm. Accessed March 15, 2009.
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  18. Singh A, Szczech L, Tang K, et al. Correction of anemia with epoetin alfa in chronic kidney disease. N Engl J Med. 2006;355:2085–2098
  19. Phrommintikul A, Haas SJ, Elsik M, et al. Mortality and target haemoglobin concentrations in anaemic patients with chronic kidney disease treated with erythropoietin: A meta-analysis. Lancet. 2007;369:381–388
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  22. Clapp S, Bardo J, Chrymko M. Implementation of a pharmacist-managed clinic for patients receiving erythropoietin-stimulating agents. Am J Hosp Pharm. 2008;65:1458–1463
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  24. Siegel J, Jorgenson J, Johnson P, et al. Use and prescribing patterns for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in inpatient and outpatient hospital settings. Am J Hosp Pharm. 2008;65:1711–1719
  25. Hanlon J, Handler S, Maher R, et al. Geriatric pharmacotherapy and polypharmacy. In: Fillit H, Rockwood K, Woodhouse L, eds. Brocklehurst's Textbook of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. 7th ed. London, UK: Churchill Livingstone; (in press).
  26. Handler S, Shirts B, Perera S, et al. Frequency of laboratory monitoring of chronic medications administered to nursing facility residents: Results of a national Internet-based study. Consultant Pharmacist. 2008;23:387–395
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  28. Bilenker J, Demers R, Porter D, et al. Recombinant human erythropoietin usage in a large academic medical center. Am J Manag Care. 2002;8:742–747
  29. Patkar A, Holdford D, Brophy D, et al. Off-label prescribing of erythropoiesis-stimulating proteins in US hospitals. Drug Information J. 2007;41:431–440

 This study was supported in part by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants 5KL2RR024154 (NIH Roadmap Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Career Development Award Grant), 5T32AG021885, P30AG024827, R01AG027017, R01AG0135, a Pittsburgh VA GRECC Pilot grant, and a VA HSR&D merit proposal (IIR-06-062).

PII: S1525-8610(09)00104-2

doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2009.03.010

JAMDA
Volume 10, Issue 6 , Pages 436-439 , July 2009

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