title: Prescribing of neuraminidase inhibitors for influenza in UK primary care since the 2009 pandemic.
abstract: We determined prescribing rates of neuraminidase inhibitors (NIs) for influenza in UK primary care since 2009 in relation to national prescribing guidelines. All NI prescriptions issued during the influenza seasons between October 2010 and May 2013 were extracted from The Health Improvement Network (THIN), a large UK primary-care database. We calculated NI prescribing rates per 100,000 person-weeks (pw) by age group, sex, deprivation level, influenza season and presence of chronic conditions with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and used negative binomial regression models to determine the independent association between these variables and NI prescribing. NI prescribing was rare. The prescribing rate was 1·7/100,000 pw (95% CI 1·7-1·8) during influenza-active periods, and 0·1/100,000 (95% CI 0·1-0·1) during non-active periods. Prescribing rates were highest in 25- to 44-year-olds in 2010/2011 and in persons aged ⩾85 years in 2011/2012 and 2012/2013. Individuals with chronic conditions had significantly higher prescribing rates than persons without (rate ratio 2·62, 95% CI 2·27-3·03). GPs are more likely to prescribe NIs to high-risk individuals and during influenza active periods, as per national guidelines. We could not assess the proportion of patients with influenza-like illness who were prescribed an NI.
authors.affiliation: Population, Policy and Practice Programme,UCL Institute of Child Health,LondonUK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hardelid
authors.affiliation: PRIMENT Clinical Trials Unit,Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health,University College London,London,UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rait
authors.affiliation: Population, Policy and Practice Programme,UCL Institute of Child Health,LondonUK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.affiliation: Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health,University College London,London,UK.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Petersen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016010:Binomial Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012621:Seasons; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D009439:Neuraminidase
keywords: Antimicrobial drugs; Influenza