Original scientific paper
WHICH MEDICINES WE PRESCRIBED MOSTLY IN 2012?
Željko Vojvodić
orcid.org/0000-0001-5215-1255
; Ordinacija obiteljske medicine Bijelo Brdo
Mladenka Vrcić Keglević
; Zaklada za razvoj obiteljske medicine
Abstract
Introduction. Analysis of pharmaceuticals with the highest consumption rate, as well as those with the highest financial costs, significantly exceeds the mere health statistical importance, opening
numerous questions on their true place and role in contemporary pharmacologic therapy.
Aim. The aim was to investigate total drug consumption in 2012, therapeutic consumption expressed in defined daily doses (DDD/1000
inhabitants/day), financial consumption in kunas (HRK), and specifically, the use of most frequently prescribed drugs in community health care setting.
Materials and methods. The research was a critical analysis (audit), based on routinely collected data from the Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices of Croatia. Data on total drug consumption, in both community and hospital settings, of twenty most frequently prescribed refundable drugs, twenty most frequently prescribed non refundable drugs (OTC), twenty drugs withthe largest share in financial costs, and data on consumption at regional level (between counties) were extracted from the publicly available annual
reports.
Results. The highest total consumption (hospital and community), both therapeutic (in DDDs/1000 inhabitants/ day) and financial, was recorded for cardiovascular drugs, followed by nervous system
drugs, were extracted from the publicly available annual reports. Among twenty most prescribed refundable pharmaceuticals in primary care were: ramipril, amlodipin and diazepam, while atorvastaton, pantoprazol and lisinopril HCT were three best-selling drugs which were responsible for high financial expenses. The great share in
financial expenditure belonged to drugs prescribed upon recommendation of clinical specialists, such as atypical antiosychotics and biological agents. Acetylsalycilic acid and analgesics (including no
steroid anti-inflammatory drugs) prevailed mostly among the OTC drugs. There were great differences in consumption among counties.
Conclusion. When we compare our findings with those we found in literature, such a large use of cardiovascular drugs is understandable, because of cardiovascular diseases public health significance.
High usage of several drugs, such as ramipril, atorvastatin, diazepam and pantoprazol should be revised from the therapeutic and financial point of view, as well as the proportion of drugs for which family practitioners are not competent to prescribe.
Keywords
prescribing of drugs; utilization in DDDs/1000 inhabitants/ day; financial costs
Hrčak ID:
136099
URI
Publication date:
11.3.2015.
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