A research project by a team of Qatar University (QU) researchers and external collaborators using the formulary inclusion of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) health services will contribute to advancing the health care in Qatar and the region.
Proton pump inhibitors are a group of drugs whose main action is a pronounced and long-lasting reduction of gastric acid production.The research team developed a comparative evidence-based multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) model to compare first-line use and evaluate the different PPIs that are currently available in the HMC drug formulary.
The model comprised seven main criteria and 38 sub criteria. Main criteria are indication, dosage frequency, treatment duration, best published evidence, available formulations, drug interactions, and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics properties.
A novel pharmacotherapeutic selection scoring model was developed for the ranking of the PPIs by an expert panel. PPIs were sorted with only the entities that score more than 95 percent of the highest scoring PPI getting recommended for formulary inclusion. PPIs that score more than 90 percent of the highest scoring PPI were also considered, but as a non-formulary alternative.
The team includes lead principal investigator of the project and Associate Professor of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research at QU College of Pharmacy (CPH) Dr Daoud Al Badriyeh, QU College of Medicine (CMED) Interim Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and HMC Deputy Chief of Staff for Graduate Medical Education Dr Abdullatif Al Khal, Professor at Faculty of Pharmacy Department of Biopharmaceutics and Clinical Pharmacy in the University of Jordan Dr Ibrahim Alabbadi, HMC former Pharmaceutical Advisor and King’s College Hospital (KCH) Healthcare LLC Pharmacy Consultant Dr Michael Fahey, and Aspetar Department of Pharmacy Director Dr Manal Zaidan.
They have completed a study entitled “Multi-indication Pharmacotherapeuthic Multicriteria Decision Analytic Model for the Comparative Formulary Inclusion of Proton Pump Inhibitors in Qatar”. The project was funded by NPRP of QNRF.
Dr Al Badriyeh said, “The MCDA modeling is a current hot area of interest in the science of decision making. It reflects real-life practices by relying on a range of clinically relevant criteria and indications that a drug can have. Basically fixing the inherent limitations associated with the cost-effectiveness evaluations traditionally used by advanced practices throughout the world for the drug selection."
