Original scientific paper
COMPARISON OF PSYCHOTROPIC DRUG PRESCRIBING QUALITY BETWEEN ZAGREB, CROATIA AND SARAJEVO, B&H
Marina Polić-Vižintin
; Department of Public Health, Andrija Stampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Croatia
Danijela Štimac
; Department of Public Health, Andrija Stampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Croatia ; Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Tarik Čatić
; Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcome Research in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Zvonimir Šostar
; Department of Public Health, Andrija Stampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Croatia
Ana Zelić
; Private Office of Family Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
Krešimir Živković
; University Hospital “Sveti Duh”, Zagreb, Croatia
Pero Draganić
; Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Background: The purpose of this paper was to compare outpatient consumption and quality of psychotropic drug prescribing
between Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina 2006-2010.
Methods: Data on drug utilization from Zagreb Municipal Pharmacy and Sarajevo Public Pharmacy were used to calculate the
number of defined daily doses (DDD) and DDD per 1000 inhabitants per day (DDD/TID) using the WHO Anatomical-Therapeutic-
Chemical methodology.
Results: Total utilization of psychopharmaceuticals increased in both cities; however, it was higher in Zagreb than in Sarajevo
throughout the study period. The utilization of psycholeptics increased in Zagreb by 2.4% (from 74.5 to 76.3 DDD/TID) and in
Sarajevo by 3.8% (from 62.4 to 64.8 DDD/TID). The utilization of anxiolytics decreased in Zagreb by 2.1% and in Sarajevo by even
18.7%. The utilization of antidepressants increased in both cities with predominance of SSRI over TCA utilization, greater in
Sarajevo (96.6%) than in Zagreb (10.2%). The anxiolytic/antidepressant ratio decreased by 11.1% in Zagreb (from 2.87 to 2.55) and
by 58.7% in Sarajevo (from 5.66 to 2.34). Outpatient utilization of antipsychotics increased significantly in Sarajevo, predominated
by typical ones, whereas in Zagreb the utilization of antipsychotics was stable, predominated by atypical ones.
Conclusions: In Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, there was an obvious tendency to follow western trends in drug
prescribing, as demonstrated by the increased use of antidepressants and reduced use of anxiolytics. Despite some improvement
observed in the prescribing quality, high use of antipsychotics with dominance of typical antipsychotics in Sarajevo points to the
need of prescribing guidelines for antipsychotics.
Keywords
psychotropic drugs; prescribing quality; ATC/DDD methodology; Zagreb; Sarajevo
Hrčak ID:
265280
URI
Publication date:
23.12.2014.
Visits: 530 *