Intensive community pharmacy intervention had little impact on triptan consumption: a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the impact of an intensive pharmaceutical care campaign targeting inappropriate use of triptans.


METHODS
Randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
22 community pharmacies in the County of Funen, Denmark.


METHODS
A total of 1123 triptan users at intervention pharmacies and 1340 at control pharmacies.


METHODS
Intervention pharmacy staff received information on migraine and other types of headache, detection of inappropriate triptan use and other drug-related problems, and techniques for establishing a dialogue with patients. Intervention consisted of a folder and a structured dialogue with the pharmacy staff. The folder included questions aimed at detecting overuse and inappropriate triptan use.


METHODS
Change in average triptan consumption in doses per month measured by means of a prescription database with information on all purchases of reimbursed drugs at the level of the individual patient.


RESULTS
Overall, intervention had no statistically significant short-term impact on patients' consumption of triptans either among incident users (intervention/control ratio 1.02; 95% confidence interval 0.95 to 1.12), or among prevalent users (1.02; 0.97 to 1.08). No effects were observed after 6 and 9 months, apart from a possible borderline effect after 9 months among prevalent users with intermediate triptan consumption (0.93; 0.87 to 1.00).


CONCLUSIONS
The pharmaceutical care campaign did not reduce the use of triptans.
Søndergaard
Jens
J
Research Unit for General Practice, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark. js@alm.au.dk
Foged
Annette
A
Kragstrup
Jakob
J
Gaist
David
D
Gram
Lars Freng
LF
Sindrup
Søren Hein
SH
Muckadell
Hans Ulrik Schaffalizky de
HU
Larsen
Bente Overgaard
BO
Herborg
Hanne
H
Andersen
Morten
M
D000328:Adult; D003718:Denmark; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004513:Education, Pharmacy, Continuing; D005260:Female; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010594:Pharmacies; D010595:Pharmacists; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D018170:Sumatriptan / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D018170:Sumatriptan