Drug Prescription Profiles in Patients with Polypharmacy in Spain: A Large-Scale Pharmacoepidemiologic Study Using Real-World Data

Miguel Ángel Hernández-Rodríguez, Ermengol Sempere-Verdú, Caterina Vicens-Caldentey, Francisca González-Rubio, Félix Miguel-García, Vicente Palop-Larrea, Ramón Orueta-Sánchez, Óscar Esteban-Jiménez, Mara Sempere-Manuel, María Pilar Arroyo-Aniés, Buenaventura Fernández-San José, José Ignacio de Juan-Roldán and Ignatios Ioakeim-Skoufa
Additional contact information
Miguel Ángel Hernández-Rodríguez: Drug Utilization Work Group, Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), ES-08009 Barcelona, Spain
Ermengol Sempere-Verdú: Drug Utilization Work Group, Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), ES-08009 Barcelona, Spain
Caterina Vicens-Caldentey: Drug Utilization Work Group, Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), ES-08009 Barcelona, Spain
Francisca González-Rubio: Drug Utilization Work Group, Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), ES-08009 Barcelona, Spain
Félix Miguel-García: Drug Utilization Work Group, Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), ES-08009 Barcelona, Spain
Vicente Palop-Larrea: Drug Utilization Work Group, Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), ES-08009 Barcelona, Spain
Ramón Orueta-Sánchez: Drug Utilization Work Group, Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), ES-08009 Barcelona, Spain
Óscar Esteban-Jiménez: Drug Utilization Work Group, Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), ES-08009 Barcelona, Spain
Mara Sempere-Manuel: Drug Utilization Work Group, Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), ES-08009 Barcelona, Spain
María Pilar Arroyo-Aniés: Drug Utilization Work Group, Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), ES-08009 Barcelona, Spain
Buenaventura Fernández-San José: Drug Utilization Work Group, Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), ES-08009 Barcelona, Spain
José Ignacio de Juan-Roldán: Drug Utilization Work Group, Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), ES-08009 Barcelona, Spain
Ignatios Ioakeim-Skoufa: Drug Utilization Work Group, Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), ES-08009 Barcelona, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 9, 1-10

Abstract: We aimed to identify and compare medication profiles in populations with polypharmacy between 2005 and 2015. We conducted a cross-sectional study using information from the Computerized Database for Pharmacoepidemiologic Studies in Primary Care (BIFAP, Spain). We estimated the prevalence of therapeutic subgroups in all individuals 15 years of age and older with polypharmacy (?5 drugs during ?6 months) using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system level 4, by sex and age group, for both calendar years. The most prescribed drugs were proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), statins, antiplatelet agents, benzodiazepine derivatives, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. The greatest increases between 2005 and 2015 were observed in PPIs, statins, other antidepressants, and ?-blockers, while the prevalence of antiepileptics was almost tripled. We observed increases in psychotropic drugs in women and cardiovascular medications in men. By patient´s age groups, there were notable increases in antipsychotics, antidepressants, and antiepileptics (15–44 years); antidepressants, PPIs, and selective ?-blockers (45–64 years); selective ?-blockers, biguanides, PPIs, and statins (65–79 years); and in statins, selective ?-blockers, and PPIs (80 years and older). Our results revealed important increases in the use of specific therapeutic subgroups, like PPIs, statins, and psychotropic drugs, highlighting opportunities to design and implement strategies to analyze such prescriptions’ appropriateness.

Keywords: computerized medical records systems; drug utilization; electronic prescribing; pharmacoepidemiology; polypharmacy; real-world data; Spain (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 (2)

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