title: A commentary on a decrease in consumption of selective COX-2 inhibitors (coxibs) Comparison between Slovakia and Nordic countries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our work was to analyze utilization patterns in Slovakia and Nordic countries and to determine coxib risk perception among medical professionals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The consumption of coxibs in Slovakia during 1999-2009 was analyzed. Data were obtained from the State Institute for Drug Control in SR. Obtained results were compared to data based on annual health statistics in Denmark, Finland and Norway. General Practitioners were asked on a perceived risk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed an increase of consumption in first years, followed with a marked decrease after year 2004. Slovak consumption was very small. Coxibs represented in Slovakia only a small part of totally prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They constituted only 1.44 % in the year 2003, whereas in Norway 41.2 %. 14 % of respondents (n=570) marked coxibs to be the safest analgesic drug.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Published data show that consumption of coxibs (rofecoxib was linked with serious thrombotic cardiovascular adverse effect) fall down markedly. Consumption data from 1999 until 2009 from Slovakia and three Nordic countries showed significant differences (p<0.001). During the observed period, the utilization of coxibs in Slovakia was very small - a possible explanation is new drug, higher prize, doctor's habits (Tab. 2, Fig. 1, Ref. 11).
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia. dr.hudec@gmail.com
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hudec
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kriska
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tisonova
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003718:Denmark; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D009664:Norway; D018154:Slovakia
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors