Advances in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety

Abstrait

Prescription Patterns of Lipid-Lowering Agents in the Community–Analysis of Primary Care Data

Alves Tiago Rafael, Costa-Pereira Altamiro, Azevedo Luis Filipe

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the prescription patterns of lipid-lowering agents in the community using primary care prescription data.
Methods: Data on drug prescriptions were obtained from the information system to support medical practice in northern Portugal Primary Care Units during 2006 and 2007. ATC/DDD methodology was used and geographical analysis was performed. Standardized prescription ratios were calculated to have age and sex standardized measures of prescription in the different northern Portugal regions.
Results: We analyzed 22 million electronic prescriptions of drugs, and 1.2 million prescriptions of lipid lowering agents, corresponding to 139 million DDD’s prescribed. Prescription rates increased with age among men and women, reaching a peak at 70-74 years age group. Statins were clearly the most prescribed lipid-lowering agents, with simvastatin being the group leader. There was a distinctive geographical pattern of prescription, with a trend for coastal regions having lower prescription rates than inner regions. A wide heterogeneity among geographical regions is described regarding prescription rates. Conclusion: Automated electronic prescription databases are an important tool to support drug utilization studies, although strategies should be developed to increase prescribers’ adherence to electronic prescription systems. Lipid-lowering drugs prescription rates increased from coastal to inner regions and a wide variation among different regions was observed. Such a high heterogeneity calls our attention to the need for National standardized policies and recommendations trying to better ensure prescription quality and clinical goals.