title: Twelve-month persistency with oral 5-aminosalicylic acid therapy for ulcerative colitis: results from a large pharmacy prescriptions database.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients receiving 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) require long-term therapy to achieve good outcomes. Persistency (duration of time from initiation to discontinuation of therapy) is therefore an important consideration.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate persistency in patients receiving various oral 5-ASA formulations.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective, 12-month, cohort study examined new-starter patients (any age and diagnosis) from a large United States pharmacy database who filled a prescription for oral 5-ASA [Lialda(®), Asacol(®), Pentasa(®) 250 or 500 mg, balsalazide (generic and Colazal(®)), and olsalazine (Dipentum(®))] between March and September 2007. Persistency was evaluated monthly on the basis of prescription refill rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prescription and refill records were identified for 44,191 patients receiving oral 5-ASA. After 1 year, 20% of patients receiving Lialda were considered persistent and classified as continuing (refilling within a timeframe of up to twice the duration of the prescription), compared with 9% receiving Asacol, 7 (250 mg) and 10% (500 mg) receiving Pentasa, 10% receiving balsalazide, and 10% receiving Dipentum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall persistency with oral 5-ASA therapy was low. However, patients receiving once-daily Lialda had significantly higher persistency after 1 year of treatment than patients receiving other oral 5-ASA therapies.
authors: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. kane.sunanda@mayo.edu
authors: Sunanda V
authors: SV
authors: Kane
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Sumner
authors: Dory
authors: D
authors: Solomon
authors: Matthew
authors: M
authors: Jenkins
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D019804:Mesalamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D055553:Prescription Drugs; D019804:Mesalamine