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Hospital Pharmacy Dispensing Records for Pharmacoepidemiology Research into Late Gestation Exposure to Antidepressants
Author(s) -
Grzeskowiak Luke E,
Gilbert Andrew L,
Morrison Janna L
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of pharmacy practice and research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 2055-2335
pISSN - 1445-937X
DOI - 10.1002/j.2055-2335.2010.tb00557.x
Subject(s) - medicine , medical record , pharmacy , pharmacoepidemiology , gold standard (test) , pregnancy , gestation , hospital pharmacy , emergency medicine , family medicine , medical prescription , pharmacology , biology , genetics
Aim To determine the validity of electronic hospital pharmacy dispensing records as an indicator of late gestation exposure to antidepressants using medical records as the gold standard. Method Medical records (gold standard) were reviewed for a consecutive sample of 400 women who delivered at a large maternity hospital during 2005. Data on antidepressants used in pregnancy from the medical records were compared with the electronic pharmacy dispensing records to ascertain sensitivity and specificity. Results According to the medical records, 12 (3%) women were identified as taking antidepressants during late gestation. The electronic pharmacy dispensing records correctly identified 9 women as exposed to antidepressants (sensitivity score 75%; 95%CI 43–95). No women were classified as exposed according to pharmacy dispensing records and classified as not exposed according to the medical records (specificity score 100%; 95%CI 99–100). 7 (1.8%) women were identified in the medical records as taking antidepressants but had either stopped prior to pregnancy or on finding out that they were pregnant. These patients were not identified in the pharmacy dispensing records. Conclusion Electronic hospital pharmacy dispensing records may provide an efficient alternative to paper records for identifying late gestation exposure to antidepressants, but will underestimate the exposure by 25%.