An analysis of the utilisation and expenditure of medicines dispensed for the management of severe asthma.
There are approximately 6,300 people in Ireland with a diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and with a fast growing elderly population the incidence of COPD is likely to increase. This study examines the prescribing patterns of medicines dispensed for the management Asthma/COPD in patients over the age of 35 years using the HSE-Primary Care Reimbursement Services (PCRS) prescribing databases. The HSE-PCRS pharmacy claims data, which covers all those over 70 years of age and means tested for those less than 70 years, was analysed for the years 2005/2006. Approximately 26,548 (17.9%) of patients who were prescribed a respiratory drug received inhaled short-acting beta2 agonists in combination with a regular standard-dose inhaled corticosteroid. A further 5,044 (3.4%) were also prescribed a regular inhaled long-acting beta2 agonist (salmeterol or formoterol). A total of 2506 patients (6.2%) on combination therapy were co-prescribed four different anti-asthmatic treatments inclusive of oral prednisolone. A small proportion of the patients prescribed a respiratory drug were co-prescribed nicotine replacement therapy (n = 5177, 3.5%). In total there were 9,728 (6.2%) patients prescribed a mucolytic drug in combination with a respiratory drug and the rate of co-prescribing with antibiotics was 22%. COPD is a debilitating disease that is primarily caused by smoking and is therefore largely preventable. The HSE-PCRS pharmacy claims data is a valuable tool for helping to assess the burden of this disease in the Irish context.
McGowan
B
B
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, St James's Hospital, James's St, Dublin 8. mcgowab@tcd.ie
Bennett
K
K
Barry
M
M
Owens
M
M
O'Connor
M
M
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000420:Albuterol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D000068759:Formoterol Fumarate; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000068299:Salmeterol Xinafoate
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D004983:Ethanolamines; D000068299:Salmeterol Xinafoate; D000420:Albuterol; D000068759:Formoterol Fumarate