Researchers already know a good deal about why and how quickly doctors begin using new drugs to treat their patients, Hauptman says.
"But much less is known about the factors that lead to a decrease in the use of a particular drug," he says.
Using a database of 491 acute care hospitals in the United States, the team studied 385,627 heart failure patient records in: the four months preceding the two articles and the eight months following; the same time periods in 2004 for comparison; and the eight months preceding the launch of nesiritide in 2001.
The researchers also hypothesized that doctors would increasingly prescribe competing drugs to treat heart failure. In fact, the use of most drugs for the condition did not increase. However, among patients prescribed intravenous drugs to treat heart failure (aside from diuretics), use of inotropes increased, which Hauptman says is noteworthy because there is extensive research on the potential risk of death with this class of drug.
Their findings, say team members, have far-reaching implications.
"With an increasing focus on drug safety, we need to recognize that the publication of research that calls into question the safety of a drug can have a great impact on physicians, and, as a consequence, on patients and drug companies," Hauptman says. "Whether these effects would occur with other drugs or devices remains to be seen. In the meantime, 'keeping up with the latest medical research' takes on a whole new meaning."
'"/>
Contact: Rachel Otto
ottorl@slu.edu
314-977-8018
Saint Louis University
17-Oct-2006