Data management and dispensary: missing link contributing to antiretroviral loss to follow-Up in Lejweleputswa District
- Authors: Moatlhodi, Charlotte Motshele
- Date: 2022-09
- Subjects: Health services administration , Drug monitoring , Antiretroviral agents
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26973 , vital:66207
- Description: Background and aim: The widespread use and access to Anti-Retro Viral Treatment (ART) world-wide has contributed to full preventive and therapeutic benefits. An estimated amount of 68percent of HIV positive people received ART in South Africa (SA) as of 2018. However, reports from TIER.Net and DHIS (District Health Information System), indicate that the retention of patients on ART (specifically first line triple combination therapy Tenofovir Emtricitabine Efavirenz (TEE)) continues to decline. Meanwhile, data on TEE dispensed from the dispensary shows increasing quantities patients across the Free State province on a monthly basis. The aim of this study is to determine factors contributing to the discrepancy between Fixed Dose Combination (FDC) TEE dispensing data and patients on FDC TEE captured on TIER.Net and Health Patient Registration System (HPRS), as a means of improving identification and monitoring of patients that carry the potential risk of being lost to subsequent follow-ups (ART collection / clinical visits). Methods: A retrospective, quantitative, and descriptive record review of 382 medical records of HIV positive patients, along with TIER.Net and Health Patient Registration System (HPRS) reports, was conducted at five primary healthcare (PHC) facilities, each representing the five sub-districts found in Lejweleputswa district using a self-designed data collection tool. Descriptive statistics was used to summarise and present data. Results: Sixty five percent the TEE collected from the dispensary was captured on TIER. Net. It could not be determined on none of the medical records whether or not the administrative clerk captured dispensed TEE on the same date of collection from the dispensary on TIER.Net. Subsequently, the actual date of capturing the TEE dispenses on TIER.Net following collection of the treatment from the dispensary could also not be determined. The overall data on TEE dispensed/collected from the dispensary the same was not the same as the data captured on TIER.Net. Thirty five percent of patients were reported to have collected their ART according to dispensary data than that reported on TIER.Net. Eighty percent of the TEE collected from the dispensary was captured on HPRS. Eighty percent of facilities had an area and computer dedicated for HPRS and TIER.Net but none had a backup computer in cases of theft/breakage. None of the facilities had access to back up connectivity, a manual capturing process in the form of paper-based head count registers was instead utilised as back-up. Conclusion: The following factors were found to contribute to the discrepancy between the TEE dispensing data, TIER.net and HPRS: Poor records keeping, unauthorised dispensing of prescriptions, poor data management, delays and non-capturing of ART medical records and infrastructural and human resource challenges that exist in the data management of the patient medical records. There is a need to address these gaps in order to improve reliability of dispensary data, as well as reports from TIER.Net and HPRS, in order to streamline the identification and monitoring of patients at risk of becoming lost to follow-up. , Thesis (MPA) -- Faculty of Health Sciences
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- Date Issued: 2022-09
A drug utilisation review of lithium at a public sector psychiatric hospital
- Authors: Mapfumo, Charlotte
- Date: 2020-04
- Subjects: Lithium -- Therapeutic use , Psychiatric hospitals -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Drug utilization , Psychiatric hospital care , Manic-depressive illness , Lithium -- Toxicology , Drug monitoring
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , M.Pharm
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/150541 , vital:38983
- Description: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a common mental condition that affects about 60 million people globally. Lithium is among the drugs of choice used to treat BD and other affective disorders such as schizoaffective disorder (SD). Lithium is a mood stabiliser with antimanic, antidepressant and anti-suicidal properties. Lithium has complex mechanisms of action and a narrow therapeutic index (NTI). Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is a vital component of lithium therapy due to its NTI. Lithium toxicity can occur at therapeutic levels and is characterised by symptoms such as blurred vision and convulsions. Lithium interacts with a number of drugs resulting in lithium toxicity or diminished effects of lithium. Symptoms of lithium toxicity range from abdominal pain, convulsions and death. Lithium use is associated with serious adverse effects on renal and thyroid function. Other adverse effects include tremor and weight gain. Monitoring of lithium serum levels, renal and thyroid function are therefore recommended for patients on lithium therapy. Monitoring of these parameters assists in the early detection of any problems associated with lithium use. The metabolic monitoring of lithium is vital due to the adverse effect profile of lithium and the current South African Standard Treatment Guidelines Hospital level: Adults, do not have any recommendations for the monitoring of metabolic parameters. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) may be used and adapted for the South African setting. Aim and Objectives: The general aim of the study was to conduct a drug utilisation review (DUR) on lithium through investigating its prescribing and monitoring patterns in both inpatients and outpatients at Fort England Hospital. Methodology: The study was in the form of a retrospective DUR. Data was collected from 40 files (n=40) of patients who were on treatment with lithium between 1 January 2017-31 December 2017 at Fort England Hospital. The data was collected retrospectively for both in- and outpatients. Compliance of the monitoring requirements with both South African and international guidelines was analysed. Results and Discussion: In 87.50% (n=37) of the cases, patients had been on lithium therapy before 2017 with most patients (n=13; 37.50%) being maintained on 500 mg of lithium. Non-compliance with the South African and NICE guidelines for renal baseline monitoring was 65.00% (n=26) in both guidelines. Non-compliance for baseline thyroid monitoring was 70.00% (n=28) for both guidelines. There was non-compliance in 45.00% (n=18) of the cases for lithium serum level monitoring for both guidelines. Non-compliance with follow-up renal monitoring was 47.50% (n=19) for both guidelines. Compliance with the NICE guidelines for follow-up metabolic monitoring was 67.50% (n=27). Conclusion: There was non-compliance in most cases leaving room for clinical improvement in the monitoring of lithium. Healthcare professionals should be educated on the recommended monitoring guidelines to promote the rational use of lithium in South Africa. Pharmacists should be more involved in the TDM of lithium to promote its safe and effective use.
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- Date Issued: 2020-04