Prescribing trends for dabigatran etexilate in primary care.
At the time of the analysis, dabigatran etexilate was licensed, in Ireland, for thromboprophylaxis in adults after elective total hip- and total knee-replacement only. A retrospective review (January 2010 to June 2011) of the National General Medical Services Prescription Database showed that 1929 patients had received prescriptions for dabigatran etexilate. Of these, 42% had received it for longer than the licensed maximum duration (at that time) of 35 days. The Eastern Health board dabigatran etexilate cohort (n = 510) was analysed further. Here 64.5% had received the drug for longer than 35 days. Seventy-six (32.5%) of the 234 patients who had received more than 90 days of dabigatran etexilate had concurrently received rate/rhythm control therapy. Likewise, 47 (31%) of the 152 patients who had received more than 180 days of dabigatran etexilate had been co-prescribed rate/rhythm control therapy. It is possible that dabigatran etexilate had been prescribed for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation.
The National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, St James's Hospital, Dublin 8. Imccullagh@stjames.ie
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D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069604:Dabigatran; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D056687:Off-Label Use / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000517:prevention & control*; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015091:beta-Alanine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D001562:Benzimidazoles; D015091:beta-Alanine; D000069604:Dabigatran