title: Evaluation of the pilot program on the real-time drug utilization review system in South Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A pilot drug utilization review (DUR) program was initiated by the Korean government, which provided safety information in real-time at the stage of prescribing and dispensing. This study aimed to compare the "physician/pharmacist Co-DUR" system and the traditional "pharmacist-only DUR" system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data collected during a DUR pilot program from July 1 to October 31 of 2009 were obtained from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service. Descriptive analyses were conducted to investigate DUR-pop up alert rates, categories of alerts, the reasons for dispensing without prescription change after an alert, and changes in drug expenditures associated with the DUR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DUR pop-up alert rates were 8.55% at clinics and 1.90% at pharmacies in the physician/pharmacist Co-DUR, whereas the rate was 2.22% in the pharmacist-only DUR. Rates of pop-up alerts were high for between-prescription ingredient duplication at pharmacies, whereas for clinics, the rate for drug-pregnancy contraindications was high. A greater reduction in drug expenditure was estimated in the physician/pharmacist Co-DUR compared to the pharmacist-only DUR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The physician/pharmacist Co-DUR has better sensitivity at detecting potential adverse drug events than the pharmacist-only DUR. Pharmacists also have opportunities to double-check prescribed drugs when doctors do not voluntarily modify pop-up alerts. Further comprehensive study will be needed to confirm the results of pilot program that favored the physician/pharmacist Co-DUR.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Haeng
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Churl
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Catholic University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sukil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Electronic address: ekyung@skku.edu.
authors.forename: Eui-Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D003199:Computer Systems; D017723:Drug Utilization Review / Q000458:organization & administration*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D050316:Medical Order Entry Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D056910:Republic of Korea
keywords: Drug utilization review; Expenditures; Inappropriate prescribing; Real-time system