Pharmacoepidemiology of Drug Prescription on Board Ships Assisted by Centro Internazionale Radio Medico (CIRM), the Italian Telemedical Maritime Assistance Service (TMAS).

The present study has analyzed drugs prescribed for treating diseases on board ships by Centro Internazionale Radio Medico (CIRM). CIRM is the Italian Telemedical Maritime Assistance Service (TMAS) and is one of the organizations with the largest experience in the field worldwide. The investigation has evaluated: No. of patient’s file, ship’s flag and position, language of teleconsultation, age and sex of patient, rank, days of assistance and number of teleconsultations, diagnosis (ICD-10), drug(s) prescribed (ATC) and their dosage. Based on pharmacotherapeutic guidelines for a given diagnosis, treatment prescribed on board ship and optimal (according to the guidelines) possible therapy will be defined. The expected results may serve as a reference for future regulations on the contents of the medicine chest