[A long-term pharmacoepidemiological study on drug dispensing by the pharmacy office in rural primary care. The influence of age and sex].
OBJECTIVE
To obtain data on the use of medicaments dispensed through pharmacies in primary rural care.


METHODS
Long-term descriptive observational study.


METHODS
Nivar and Güevejar municipalities, Sanitary Health District in north Granada (Spain). There were 2.7% losses.


METHODS
A randomised sample of 589 inhabitants, 18 years o more, included in the census of two villages.


RESULTS
The number of visits to the pharmacy, number of medicaments dispensed, prescribing physician and adverse effects to medicaments were recorded and compared between age groups, and between men and women. Prescriptions accounted for 75% of all medicaments, and 67.4% of the prescriptions were written by the primary care physician. Greater numbers of prescriptions were written for elderly persons and women than for younger person and men. Adverse reactions occurred in 3.3% of all subjects. Most reactions were mild (93.6%), and the greatest number of reactions were caused by nonsteroid antiinflammatory agents.


CONCLUSIONS
Age and female sex influence the consumption of medicaments. Long-term studies of dispensation patterns in pharmacies can represent a useful method.
Bernárdez
M
M
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Granada.
Puche
E
E
Martínez
B
B
García Morillas
M
M
Luna
J D
JD
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017891:Pharmacoepidemiology; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain; D013997:Time Factors