[Risk indicators of preventable morbidity related to drug utilization].
OBJECTIVE
To select clinical situations that can be used as risk indicators of preventable morbidity caused by drugs at the community pharmacies, and to study their acceptability, in terms of pertinence and relevance.


METHODS
We used the Delphi technique, in 2 rounds, by a panel of 14 medical doctors and pharmacists experts, to study the relevance of 68 types of clinical situations as risk indicators of preventable morbidity related to drug utilization used by health professionals in community pharmacies, with scientific evidence of foreseeable adverse result, frequent situations in ambulatory care and with controllable cause and result.


RESULTS
43 of the 68 indicators were considered usable and pertinent. The indicators referred three areas: drug type (medications of narrow therapeutic margin, with individualized dose and adverse reactions frequent and severe), health problem (chronic problems, especially asthma, cardiac, thyroid and prostate illness, and pain), and patient (old or with several medications. Pharmacists systematically overvalued some indicators in relation to the doctors, but differences were not significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Forty-three indicators were selected as valuable to identify situations of preventable morbidity related to drug utilization.
Dago Martínez
Ana
A
Area de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, España.
Arcos González
Pedro
P
Alvarez de Toledo Saavedra
Flor
F
Baena Parejo
María Isabel
MI
Martínez Olmos
José
J
Gorostiza Ormaetxe
Iñigo
I
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D000075202:Contraindications; D003697:Delphi Technique; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004347:Drug Interactions; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D010594:Pharmacies; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations