COVID-19 Pandemic: Changes in Drug Consumption and Implications for Treatment Strategies

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to establish a roadmap for drug supply during potential future pandemic scenarios by examining the variations in drug consumption at Kayseri City Training and Research Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-COVID-19 period.

Materials and Methods: The study involved an analysis of one-year drug stock data before and after the pandemic. The start date of the pandemic was identified as April 2020 when the first COVID-19 case was admitted to our hospital. Data on drug stock inputs and outputs were obtained from the Hospital Information Management System. The data were calculated as percentages by considering the number of inpatients on a monthly basis. The drug groups investigated included antiviral, antibiotic, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antifungal, antithrombotic, antitussive, and psychiatric drugs. Specifically, the most commonly used antifungal agents were identified as liposomal amphotericin B, fluconazole, metronidazole, caspofungin, and nystatin; antihypertensive agents included amlodipine, perindopril, carvedilol, and furosemide; antidiabetic agents encompassed insulin glargine, insulin aspart, insulin glulisine, and metformin hydrochloride; psychiatric drugs consisted of quetiapine, escitalopram, and sertraline; antiviral agents were favipiravir, oseltamivir, and remdesivir; and antibiotics comprised ampicillin sodium, ceftriaxone, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, and clarithromycin. Additionally, enoxaparin sodium was used as an antithrombotic agent, and levodropropizin as an antitussive during the pandemic at our hospital.

Results: Comparing the pre-COVID period, an increase in the number of drugs supplied per patient was observed across all drug groups. However, the usage rates of furosemide, carvedilol, metronidazole, liposomal amphotericin B, quetiapine, and metformin decreased in certain months during the pandemic. The drug categories with the highest usage rates were antithrombotics, antivirals, and antibiotics. Notably, antithrombotic consumption increased by a factor of 270 in the first year of the pandemic.

Conclusion: This study highlights the potential changes in drug consumption and requirements during pandemic periods, particularly in the case of antimicrobial and antithrombotic drugs, as demonstrated in our findings. It emphasizes the importance of proactive measures to adjust drug supply to meet the demands of clinics and inpatient services during critical periods.