Headache medication-use among primary care headache patients in a health maintenance organization.
OBJECTIVE
Medication-use among headache patients 2 and 5 years after a primary care headache visit is assessed, and the pattern of medication-use compared before and after the introduction of subcutaneous sumatriptan among migraineurs.


METHODS
The study was carried out among headache patients visiting a primary care physician at the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound in 1989-90.


METHODS
We report medication-use patterns 2 and 5 years later for the 530 subjects completing both a 2-year (1991-92) and a 5-year (1994-95) follow-up interview. Medication-use was determined by self-report for the month prior to the interview. Medication-use to control or prevent headache is shown for all headache patients and for those meeting International Headache Society criteria for migraine at the 2-year and the 5-year follow-up.


RESULTS
The overall pattern of medication-use was similar at the 2-year and the 5-year follow-up, before and after the introduction of subcutaneous sumatriptan (March, 1993). There was a modest but statistically significant decline in the use of opioid and sedative-hypnotic medications, and in the use of ergotamine. At 5 years, 11% of migraineurs reported use of sumatriptan in the prior month. The large majority of study patients used symptomatic medications, usually non-prescription analgesics, sedative-hypnotics, and opiates. Only one-fifth of the migraineurs reported use of a prophylactic medication for headache.


CONCLUSIONS
Continuing use of symptomatic headache medications was characteristic of patients with migraine and other common forms of headache. The introduction of subcutaneous sumatriptan was not associated with notable change in this pattern, although a modest reduction in use of sedative-hypnotics and opiates was observed. Overall, the pattern of use of headache medications was similar before and after the introduction of subcutaneous sumatriptan.
Von Korff
M
M
Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
Black
L K
LK
Saunders
K
K
Galer
B S
BS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004363:Drug Utilization; D004876:Ergot Alkaloids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011320:Primary Health Care; D018170:Sumatriptan / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D014861:Washington
D000700:Analgesics; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D004876:Ergot Alkaloids; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D018170:Sumatriptan