Sibutramine usage in New Zealand: an analysis of prescription data by the Intensive Medicines Monitoring Programme.
OBJECTIVE
To describe patterns of sibutramine usage in New Zealand during the first 3 years of marketing using data acquired during post-marketing safety surveillance.


METHODS
Demographic and prescription data were examined from a nationwide cohort of 17 298 patients prescribed sibutramine between 1 February 2001 and 31 March 2004. Outcome measures were age and sex distribution of the cohort; period prevalence of sibutramine usage for each ethnic group; duration of treatment and reasons for cessation of therapy. Limited BMI data were also examined.


RESULTS
About 0.5% of the NZ population were prescribed sibutramine in the period studied. Overwhelmingly, the highest users of sibutramine were NZ European women aged 30-59 years. Maori and Pacific Peoples were under-represented in the cohort, despite the higher prevalence of obesity among these populations. Sibutramine usage was predominantly short-term: 59% of the cohort used sibutramine for 90 days or less, half of whom used it for only 1 month.


CONCLUSIONS
There has been extensive use of sibutramine in New Zealand. Sibutramine has been relatively under-utilised by Maori and Pacific ethnic groups, compared to New Zealand Europeans, despite their higher prevalence of obesity. A number of factors may have contributed to the predominantly short-term use of this medicine, including the cost of the medicine to the consumer, weight loss not meeting expectations and adverse effects of the medicine.
Hill
Geraldine R
GR
Intensive Medicines Monitoring Programme, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, P.O. Box 913, Dunedin, New Zealand. geraldine.hill@otago.ac.nz
Ashton
Janelle
J
Harrison-Woolrych
Mira
M
D000328:Adult; D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; D000367:Age Factors; D001067:Appetite Depressants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003503:Cyclobutanes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011358:Product Surveillance, Postmarketing; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors
D001067:Appetite Depressants; D003503:Cyclobutanes; C058254:sibutramine