[Program for the substitution of therapeutic equivalents in the hospital setting].
BACKGROUND
A Program of Therapeutic Equivalents (TEP) is here reported which was elaborated and is currently in force at a third level university teaching hospital.


METHODS
Therapeutic equivalents were selected within the same pharmacologic group on the basis of approved indications and both efficiency and safety data.


RESULTS
TEP considers: a) the substitution of drugs which are considered therapeutic equivalents; b) withdrawal of drugs which have not proved efficiency or are of no interest for inpatients; c) continuation of therapies when changes are not advisable, and d) indistinct use of homologous drugs. From August 1998 up to April 1999, TEP was applied in 505 occasions; it was accepted in 499 (99%) and rejected in 6 (1%).


CONCLUSIONS
The substitution of therapeutic equivalents should be viewed in the context of selecting the most appropriate drugs to be used in the hospital setting. TEP should be a consensus document and supervised by the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Commission.
Delgado Sánchez
O
O
Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Universitario Son Dureta, Palma de Mallorca.
Puigventós Latorre
F
F
Llodrá Ortola
V
V
Comas Gallardo
F
F
Cervera Peris
M
M
Sánchez Pedroche
A
A
Penalva Martorell
J S
JS
Martínez Domingo
A I
AI
Pallarés Ferrerés
L
L
Serra Devecchi
J
J
D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013030:Spain; D013810:Therapeutic Equivalency