title: Trends in Pharmacotherapy for Bladder Dysfunction Among Children in the United States, 2000 to 2013.
abstract: Bladder-related issues such as nocturnal enuresis and incontinence have long been a part of general pediatric practice. Increasingly, clinicians are prescribing medications directed at a variety of types of bladder dysfunction, but no prior population-based data exist. We used MarketScan health care claims data on 32 074 638 insured children to estimate utilization patterns by age, sex, year, and geographic region in the United States from 2000 to 2013, and to assess related diagnosis codes. Approximately 1 in 500 children filled an antimuscarinic prescription. The most common prescriptions were for oxybutynin (78%) and tolterodine (17%). Rates were highest at ages 6 to 10 years (65/100 000 person-months), 31% higher for girls versus boys, peaked in 2011 (44/100 000 person-months), and were highest in the Midwest (59/100 000 person-months). Seventy-three percent of children with prescriptions had diagnosis codes for genitourinary symptoms, and 13% had codes for congenital anomalies. Research is needed regarding the comparative effectiveness and safety of these drugs in children.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Alan C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Kinlaw
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA.|2 Center for Women's Health Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jonsson Funk
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Mitchell M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Conover
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pate
authors.affiliation: 2 Center for Women's Health Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA.|4 Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA.|5 Center for Aging and Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wu
keywords: antimuscarinics; bladder dysfunction; databases; drug utilization; prescription drugs