title: [Low frequency of prophylaxis prescription for osteoporosis in patients receiving chronic treatment with corticosteroids in Colombia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the frequency of drug use for the prevention of corticosteroid induced osteoporosis (CIO) among patients using corticosteroids for more than three months affiliated to the General Social Health Security System of Colombia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study. Information about people affiliated to the General Social Health Security System of Colombia (3.7 million) was used. This study included men and women of all ages having been prescribed any glucocorticoid from August 1 to November 30, 2011. Sociodemographic variables and the characteristics of of the glucocorticoid prescription and CIO prophylaxis drugs in a defined daily dose (DDD) were identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A database of 255,568 prescriptions of glucocorticoids was obtained, with a total of 1,837 patients receiving some glucocorticoid chronically. The majority of participants were females (60.2%), with an average age of 55.2± 16.9 years distributed in 65 cities of the country. Prednisolone was the most commonly used glucocorticoid (1,546 patients, 84.1%), whereas the most prescribed prophylaxis drug used was calcitriol (67.1%). Despite the need to receive prophylaxis, 994 cases (54.2%) were not receiving it.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a poor utilization of CIO prophylaxis. The implementation of drug surveillance actions that allow the identification of problems related to these drugs in order to prevent adverse events and optimize resources is recommended, thus anticipating the emergence of complications in the patients.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Investigación en Farmacoepidemiología y Farmacovigilancia, Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia. machado@utp.edu.co
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Machado-Alba
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alzate-Carvajal
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mondragón-Cardona
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Canizales
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003105:Colombia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones