[Effect of modal computer-based alerts on the prescription of valproic acid and meropenem].

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the effect of modal computer-based alerts on the concomitant prescription of valproic acid (VPA) and meropenem.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: Analytical intervention study conducted in a tertiary hospital for eleven months. Hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of epilepsy and treated with VPA and meropenem in concomitant therapy were included. In the computerized prescription order entry software an automatic non-modal alert was reconverted to a modal one. This was triggered when the physician introduced VPA and meropenem together in the same prescription. To measure the effect of this alert the prescription habits were compared with a previous period in which the alert was not modal.

RESULTS

Modal computer-based alert modified the prescription habit by reducing the number of patients with concomitant treatment from 13 to 4 (P=.046). However, it was notable that the number of requests for VPA serum levels decreased, and the average number of concomitant days of treatment rose from 4.7 to 8.75 in those patients in which none of the drugs was suspended.

CONCLUSIONS

The implementation of modal computer-based alerts reduces patient exposure to concomitant treatment with meropenem and VPA.