[Celecoxib prescription: data from the "Sécurité Sociale" database of the Aquitaine Region, South-Western, France].
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics of subjects beginning celecoxib treatment and the evolution of treatment over a 6-month period.


METHODS
All the subjects (n = 14 323) for whom reimbursement of celecoxib was submitted to the "Sécurité Sociale" d'Aquitaine in December 2000 were included in the study. Their mean age was 61.9 years, and the male/female sex ratio was equal to 0.45. Almost two-thirds of the subjects were previous typical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug users (NSAIDs-typical).


RESULTS
Fifteen percent of the subjects had a gastroprotective agent prescribed, either on the same form as celecoxib or during the following 30 days. New reimbursements of celecoxib involved 41% of the subjects. Among the subjects who received a repeat prescription of celecoxib, 41% had used a gastroprotective agent at least once during the 6 months before study inclusion and 44% during the 6 months after inclusion. Among the subjects who did not renew their celecoxib prescription, the respective proportions were 32.2% and 33.7%.


CONCLUSIONS
These results show that celecoxib is mainly prescribed to previous NSAIDs-typical users. The small difference in the prescription of gastroprotective agents between the period preceding and that following the initiation of celecoxib treatment does not indicate an advantage of celecoxib in terms of a lower rate of use of gastroprotective agents.
Fourrier-Réglat
Annie
A
Département de Pharmacologie, Inserm U657, Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France. annie.fourrier@pharmaco.u-bordeaux2.fr
de Bailliencourt
Ségolène
S
Molimard
Mathieu
M
Latry
Philippe
P
Moore
Nicholas
N
Peter
Claude
C
Bégaud
Bernard
B
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068579:Celecoxib; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D011720:Pyrazoles; D013449:Sulfonamides; D000068579:Celecoxib