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J Glikman

Publications and source records attributed to J Glikman.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Assessing the impact of a consensus conference on long-term therapy for schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess the impact of six recommendations regarding drug prescription on the clinical practices of French psychiatrists. The recommendations were part of the conclusions of a consensus conference entitled "Long-term therapy of schizophrenia" (Paris, January 1994). METHODS: The impact of the conference was assessed on the basis of awareness of the existence of the conference, knowledge of its conclusions, and actual changes in clinical practice. We performed: a) a survey of a representative sample of 396 psychiatrists 2 years after the conference; and b) an analysis of changes in drug prescriptions in a cohort of 2,407 patients with schizophrenia under treatment at the time of the conference. RESULTS: Overall, 78% of interviewed psychiatrists were aware of the existence of the conference and 70% of its conclusions. Declared prescription practices conformed with conference conclusions about 60% (10%-95%) of the time. No difference in practices was noted between psychiatrists who were aware of the recommendations and those who were not. Single neuroleptic prescriptions increased in the cohort study in line with the main conference recommendation. The increase was small, but significant from 51.1% to 56.4%, and mainly concerned patients recently put on treatment. Contrary to recommendations, prescriptions of anticholinergics plus neuroleptics inexplicably rose from 48.2% to 54.3%. CONCLUSION: Small changes in prescription habits occurred in the wake of the consensus conference, but we cannot really ascribe them to a direct impact of the conference. Despite the great pains we took in disseminating the conclusions of the conference as widely as possible, it is clear that a more forceful action plan (e.g., including continuous medical education) is required.

Adolescent↗

[Quality assurance in drug treatment by prescription drug analysis in a psychiatric treatment facility].

This article reports pharmaceutical analysis of the medical prescription in a psychiatric hospital. This study estimates the impact of the pharmaceutical interventions on the security of the treatment prescribed. This pharmaceutical system is based on individual prescription and on pharmaceutical analysis of this document. This analysis consists in checking high dosage prescription, detecting drug interaction, omission or frank prescribing errors and providing pharmaceutical advice to the physicians. In 1997, hospital pharmacists have intervened in 510 prescriptions:--315 high prescribing dosages were checked. In 7.3 percent of these cases, an error of dosage was detected;--66 drug interactions were communicated. Thirteen interventions corresponded to a forbidden association according to the Vidal therapeutic register;--53 pharmaceutical advices were performed; 12 interventions were related to a physiological or a pathological characteristic of the patient which forbid the use of the treatment;--more over, 34 omissions or frank errors were detected through the medium of our interventions; 25 errors could be considered as clinically relevant. In conclusion, the interventions rate was estimated to 3.6% of the new prescriptions. In 14.1% of these cases, they appeared as clinically significant. These rates are lower than those described in the traditional global distribution for which pharmaceutical analysis is not performed. This report has underlined the interest of pharmaceutical care by analysing the medical prescriptions.

Dose-Response Relationship, Drug↗

[The study of the impact of the consensus conference "Strategies for long-term therapy of patients with schizophrenia"].

UNLABELLED: The case management, treatment and psychosocial rehabilitation of schizophrenic patients is an important part of the activity of the psychiatric sector and takes up many human, scientific, organizational and financial resources. The best way to reach satisfactory results for the individual patient is still uncertain and current practice in France shows noticeable variations that have been rarely investigated in terms of outcome. A consensus conference (CC) on "Strategies for long-term therapy of patients with schizophrenia" was therefore held in Paris in 1994 to produce accurate guidelines designed to help both clinicians and patients and to improve practice. It was organized by the French Federation of Psychiatry, the National Union of Friends and Relatives of Mental Patients, and the National Agency for the Development of Health Evaluation. The conclusions of the CC were mailed, in the form of a booklet, to members of these associations (psychiatrists and relatives) and were reported in the medical and general press. METHODS: The impact of the CC was judged by (a) the psychiatrists'awareness of the existence of the CC, (b) their knowledge of its conclusions, and (c) changes in practice. The following were analyzed: press coverage; requests for the booklet; the results of a survey of a representative sample of 396 psychiatrists two years after the CC; prescription changes in the public sector in a cohort of 2,407 schizophrenic patients under treatment at the time of the CC; prescriptions to psychotic patients by a representative sample of psychiatrists in private practice. RESULTS: Awareness: Articles on the CC were published in 27 journals and newspapers, 30,000 booklets were distributed and 8,348 were mailed in response to 1,121 spontaneous requests; 78% of the psychiatrists interviewed said they were aware of the existence of the CC and 70% said they were aware of the conclusions. Knowledge: The psychiatrists' declared practice conformed with CC conclusions 41%-85% of the time depending on the recommendation. No difference in practice was noted between the psychiatrists who said they knew of the recommendations and those who said they did not. Changes in practice: A significant but small improvement in prescription habits was noted for a principal recommendation ("just one neuroleptic is enough"). One-neuroleptic prescriptions increased from 51.1% the year before the CC to 56.4% two years after the CC. The increase mainly concerned the most recently treated patients. However, during the same time-span, prescriptions of anti-cholinergics plus neuroleptics rose from 48.2% to 54.3%. CONCLUSION: It is difficult to attribute changes in practice to a CC. However, the impact of the CC seemed real even if inconstant and not great enough. Clearly, to enhance impact an action plan is needed. It should include corrective measures and focus on additional dissemination efforts, teaching and training programs, and updating of guidelines if necessary.

Adult↗