SCHOLZ DataBank (SDB) introduces its interface to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system, providing an easy route for healthcare software developers worldwide to connect national drug compendia and medication systems to SDB’s comprehensive drug risk assessment and drug safety functions. 

The ATC classification groups active pharmaceutical ingredients according to the organ or system on which they act and their therapeutic, pharmacological, and chemical properties. Its five-level hierarchy ranges from broad anatomical groups to individual chemical substances [1]. The ATC/DDD methodology is endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an international standard for drug utilization research [2].

Through its ATC interface, SDB enables national drug information systems and compendia to connect to its content and analytical functions where suitable mappings between local drug identifiers and ATC codes are available. This supports the integration of SDB’s medication safety capabilities into electronic medical record (EMR), hospital, and pharmacy software internationally.

Comprehensive Medication Risk Assessment


SDB’s Adverse Drug Risk Control Panel (ADR CP) brings together its drug risk assessment and drug safety functions in a single interface. The ADR CP:

  • Provides a consolidated overview of potential risks across a patient’s medication regimen.

  • Assesses pairwise and multiple drug–drug interactions (MDDI).

  • Integrates the assessment of pharmacokinetic interactions with pharmacodynamic interactions, vital signs, and serious adverse effects.

  • Incorporates individual patient factors, including sex, age, chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage, and pharmacogenomic information.

  • Visualizes alerts to help clinicians recognize potential medication-related problems at a glance.

  • Helps clinicians identify and optimize cumulative and potentially hidden risks in patients with multiple chronic conditions and complex medication regimens.

  • Supports summarized all kind of drug safety webservice requests using ATC codes, for interaction checks and also for information on contraindications, warnings, precautions, adverse effects, and allergies.

Addressing the Challenges of Polypharmacy


Non-optimized medication therapy places a substantial burden on patients and healthcare systems. A study published in 2018 estimated the annual US cost of prescription drug-related morbidity and mortality resulting from non-optimized medication therapy at $528.4 billion US dollars in 2016 [3].

Pairwise drug–drug interaction checking is an established component of medication safety workflows. However, assessing interacting drug pairs individually may not fully capture the combined effects of multiple medications and patient-specific risk factors. High volumes of alerts can also contribute to alert fatigue. Research has documented frequent overrides of computerized drug safety alerts, although override rates and their clinical appropriateness vary by setting and alert type [4].

SDB’s ADR CP and MDDI technology support a broader assessment of complex medication regimens at the point of care. This includes evaluating potential changes in drug exposure arising from multiple pharmacokinetic interactions and considering patient factors such as impaired kidney function or a pharmacogenomic poor-metabolizer phenotype.

By bringing these findings together, SDB helps clinicians assess risks that may be less apparent when reviewing individual drug pairs separately.

Supporting the Assessment of Treatment Alternatives to optimize Medications


Identifying a potential medication risk is one step; assessing possible alternatives and optimizing is another.

SDB supports the identification of drug alternatives through third- and fourth-level ATC groupings associated with an active ingredient, as well as through its proprietary, more granular indication-based drug classification. The indication related search is more effective if medications used to treat diseases, for example urinary tract infections, belong to several distinct ATC classes.  All alternatives found may be compared and ranked concerning their impact on the drug risk potential for specific medication scenarios. Thus SDB offers complementary ways to differentiate between therapeutic options, to avoid risks, and to optimize complex polypharmacy medications. 

Clinical Literature and Case Studies


Explore the following articles for further information on SDB’s analytical approach and clinical applications:
 


Partner with SCHOLZ DataBank


SCHOLZ DataBank welcomes collaboration with EMR, hospital, and pharmacy software developers all over the globe seeking to strengthen their medication safety capabilities.

Through its ATC interface and patient-specific risk analysis, SDB offers partners an additional pathway to support clinicians in identifying medication risks, assessing treatment alternatives, and improving medication management.

Wolfgang Scholz
Founder, SCHOLZ DataBank

References

  1. World Health Organization. Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification.

  2. World Health Organization. The ATC/DDD Methodology.

  3. Watanabe JH, McInnis T, Hirsch JD. Cost of Prescription Drug-Related Morbidity and Mortality. Annals of Pharmacotherapy. 2018;52(9):829–837.

  4. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Overriding of Drug Safety Alerts in Computerized Physician Order Entry.