Original scientific paper
Treatment of Hypertension by General Practitioners and Antihypertensive Drugs Expenditure in an Urban Environment
Biserka Bergman Marković
; Department of Family Medicine, School of Public Health »Andrija [tampar«, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Ksenija Kranjčević
; General Practice Office, Zagreb-West Health Center, Zagreb, Croatia
Stanislava Stojanović-Špehar
; Department of Family Medicine, School of Public Health »Andrija [tampar«, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Sanja Blažeković-Milaković
; Department of Family Medicine, School of Public Health »Andrija [tampar«, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Josipa Kern
; Department for Medical Statistics, Epidemiological and Medical Informatics, School of Public Health »Andrija Štampar«, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Marija Vrca Botica
; General Practice Office, Samobor, Croatia
Jagoda Doko Jelinić
; Department for Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health »Andrija [tampar«, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Maja Marković
; Faculty of Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Aim of our study was to determine the treatment habits of hypertension by general practitioners (GPs) as well as the monthly costs of prescribed antihypertensive drugs and their share in the total prescription drug expenditure approved by the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance (CIHI), the compulsory health insurance system. The study was performed in six GPs offices in Zagreb, serving 8,866 patients, in December 2005. The monthly costs of antihypertensive drugs prescribed by the GPs was obtained by summarizing the prices of all antihypertensive drugs prescribed in one month and then comparing the sum with total monthly prescription drug expenditure approved by the CIHI. The type and dosage of prescribed antihypertensive drugs were also analyzed. Hypertension was diagnosed in 2,342 (26.4%) patients. The monthly costs of prescribed antihypertensive drugs accounted for 52.33% of the total amount approved for medications by the CIHI. 945 (40.0%) hypertensive patients were taking antihypertensive monotherapy. The most frequently prescribed drugs as monotherapy were ACE inhibitors (38.3%), calcium-channel blockers (26.7%), b blockers (18.6%), and diuretics (10.3%). a antagonists (3.6%). Angiotensin receptor blockers (2.5%) were rarely prescribed. As combination therapy, ACE inhibitors and diuretics (30.4%) were most frequently used. More than 50% of the funds allocated to GPs for medications were spent for the treatment of only one disease. The most used antihypertensive drugs were ACE inhibitors.
Keywords
hypertension; antihypertensive drugs; pharmacoeconomics; and family medicine
Hrčak ID:
39533
URI
Publication date:
1.3.2009.
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