Toilet Paper, Minced Meat and Diabetes Medicines: Australian Panic Buying Induced by COVID-19

Teyl Engstrom, Dolly O. Baliunas, Benjamin P. Sly, Anthony W. Russell, Peter J. Donovan, Heike K. Krausse, Clair M. Sullivan and Jason D. Pole
Additional contact information
Teyl Engstrom: Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
Dolly O. Baliunas: School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
Benjamin P. Sly: Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
Anthony W. Russell: Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
Peter J. Donovan: Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia
Heike K. Krausse: Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia
Clair M. Sullivan: Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
Jason D. Pole: Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-9

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the management of non-communicable diseases in health systems around the world. This study aimed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on diabetes medicines dispensed in Australia. Publicly available data from Australia’s government subsidised medicines program (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme), detailing prescriptions by month dispensed to patients, drug item code and patient category, was obtained from January 2016 to November 2020. This study focused on medicines used in diabetes care (Anatomical Therapeutical Chemical code level 2 = A10). Number of prescriptions dispensed were plotted by month at a total level, by insulins and non-insulins, and by patient category (general, concessional). Total number of prescriptions dispensed between January and November of each year were compared. A peak in prescriptions dispensed in March 2020 was identified, an increase of 35% on March 2019, compared to average growth of 7.2% in previous years. Prescriptions dispensed subsequently fell in April and May 2020 to levels below the corresponding months in 2019. These trends were observed across insulins, non-insulins, general and concessional patient categories. The peak and subsequent dip in demand have resulted in a small unexpected overall increase for the period January to November 2020, compared to declining growth for the same months in prior years. The observed change in consumer behaviour prompted by COVID-19 and the resulting public health measures is important to understand in order to improve management of medicines supply during potential future waves of COVID-19 and other pandemics.

Keywords: health services research; routinely collected health data; COVID-19; diabetes; health behaviour (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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