title: Comparison of physicians' compliance, clinical efficacy, and drug cost before and after introduction of Asthma Prevention and Management Guidelines in Japan (JGL2003).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study investigated the variations in the clinical efficacy and drug cost following the introduction of the Asthma Prevention and Management Guidelines in Japan (JGL2003).
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical charts of fifty outpatients treated continuously for asthma, aged 16-50 years, from October 2002 to October 2004 at Showa University Hospital were analyzed for physicians' compliance with asthma guidelines, symptom severity, episodes in various occasions, prescriptions and drug costs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physicians' compliance with the guidelines, which were defined as the number of patient visits treated in conformity with the JGL over the total number of patient visits, was found to be high before (89.4%) and after (90.3%) the introduction of JGL2003, without a statistical difference. On the other hand, the distribution of asthma symptom severity varied significantly (P<0.0001). Fewer patients were recognized as having more severe asthma symptoms after the introduction of JGL2003. Significantly more patients with severe asthma symptoms were detected in the physicians' noncompliant group than in the compliant group (P<0.0001). The number of patients prescribed with oral corticosteroids, long-acting beta2-agonists containing patches, long-acting oral beta2-agonists, short-acting inhaled beta2-agonists, sustained-released theophylline and leukotriene receptor antagonists decreased after the introduction of JGL2003. Furthermore, the total annual drug cost per patient decreased significantly by an average of 16,259 yen (P=0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The JGL2003 was judged to have improved criteria, which thus resulted in the high compliance of physicians with the guidelines, in the remission of asthma symptoms and in the reduction in the total annual drug cost per patient.
authors: Deparment of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Showa University, and Department of Respiratory Medicine, Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. tsuzuki-nii@umin.net
authors: Tomoko
authors: T
authors: Suzuki
authors: Michiko
authors: M
authors: Kaneko
authors: Isao
authors: I
authors: Saito
authors: Fumio
authors: F
authors: Kokubu
authors: Keita
authors: K
authors: Kasahara
authors: Hiroaki
authors: H
authors: Nakajima
authors: Mitsuru
authors: M
authors: Adachi
authors: Takuro
authors: T
authors: Shimbo
authors: Erika
authors: E
authors: Sugiyama
authors: Hitoshi
authors: H
authors: Sato
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics / Q000503:physiopathology; D016527:Drug Costs; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D055656:Prescriptions / Q000191:economics; D016896:Treatment Outcome