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.
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
Geraldine R
GR
Hill
Janelle
J
Ashton
Mira
M
Harrison-Woolrych
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