Prescribing patterns of antilipemic drugs and prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in the Nova Scotia population more than 65 years old.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the prevalence of antilipemic drug use, demographic characteristics of patients using these drugs, and the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in the Nova Scotia population over 65 years of age.


METHODS
Information was collected on the prescribing of antilipemic drugs using Nova Scotia Medical Services Insurance Pharmacare program data from October 1991 through March 1992. Pharmacare data were compared with prevalence data on increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations obtained from the Nova Scotia Heart Health Survey (NSHHS).


METHODS
Pharmacare is a centrally administered drug insurance system maintained in computerized claims files since 1974. It provides prescription drugs to all residents of Nova Scotia who are at least 65 years old and who are insured under the provincial Medicare program.


METHODS
In the 1991-1992 fiscal year, 47,000 men and 65,700 women were eligible for Pharmacare. The NSHHS was administered to a probability sample of 2,108 individuals, representative of the 1986 population aged 18-74 years.


METHODS
Prescriptions for antilipemic agents.


RESULTS
The NSHHS data indicated that 3.7% of women and 2.3% of men at least 65 years old and 4.8% of women and 2.8% of men 65-74 years old received a prescription for antilipemic drugs.
Sketris
I S
IS
College of Pharmacy, Dalhousie University, and Clinical Consultant, Department of Pharmaceutical Services, Victoria General Hospital, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Kephart
G C
GC
Hicks
V A
VA
Hubbard
E J
EJ
Brown
M G
MG
Chandler
R F
RF
MacLean
D R
DR
D000368:Aged; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009674:Nova Scotia / Q000453:epidemiology; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D015995:Prevalence
D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008074:Lipoproteins