Publication: Use of lipid-lowering drugs in restricted health access settings: Results from the Trends in Drug Utilization During COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey (PANDUTI-TR) study
Loading...
Files
Date
2024-09-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 restrictions prompted changes in chronic disease management and lifestyle modifications, potentially altering cardiometabolic indicators and lipid-lowering pharmacotherapy patterns. We aimed to assess lipid-lowering drug (LLD) utilization trends during COVID-19 restrictions. Methods: We obtained nationwide outpatient drug sales and prescribing data for 01.03.2018–31.12.2022 from IQVIA™ Turkey. We evaluated average monthly LLD consumption, their costs, and quarterly prescribing levels in three periods: \"before restrictions\" (BfR, 01.03.2018–31.03.2020), \"during restrictions\" (DuR, 01.04.2020–31.03.2022), and \"after restrictions\" (AfR, 01.04.2022–31.12.2022). Drug utilization was measured via \"defined daily dose/1000 inhabitants/day\" (DID) metric. Results: LLD utilization increased from 25.4 ± 3.1 DID in BfR to 36.2 ± 6.8 DID in DuR (p < 0.001), and to 42.6 ± 5.3 DID in AfR (p < 0.001 vs. BfR). Statin consumption significantly rose from 22.0 ± 3.0 DID in BfR to 31.6 ± 6.3 DID in DuR (p < 0.001), and further to 37.6 ± 4.7 DID in AfR (p < 0.01 vs. DuR). High-intensity statin consumption elevated by 115.9% in AfR compared to baseline (p < 0.001). Prescribing of LLDs decreased from 12.5 ± 0.6 DID in BfR to 7.2 ± 1.2 DID in DuR (p < 0.001), later reached 13.6 ± 3.8 DID in AfR (p < 0.001 vs. DuR), with prescribing for ongoing users following similar trend. Expenditure on LLDs increased from €8.4 m ± 0.9 m in BfR to €11.4 m ± 2.0 m in DuR (p < 0.001) and to €12.8 m ± 1.9 m in AfR (p < 0.001 vs. BfR). Conclusions: This study revealed a surge in consumption of LLDs in Turkey following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This rise might be related to practices facilitating drug access, in addition to potentially greater adherence, or the necessity for more intense pharmacotherapy due to elevated cardiovascular risk.
Description
Keywords
Tıp, Temel Eczacılık Bilimleri, Eczacılık, Yaşam Bilimleri, Biyoteknoloji, Sağlık Bilimleri, Temel Tıp Bilimleri, Biyokimya, Fizyoloji, Temel Bilimler, Medicine, Basic Pharmaceutics Sciences, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Health Sciences, Fundamental Medical Sciences, Biochemistry, Human Physiology, Natural Sciences, Yaşam Bilimleri (LIFE), Biyoloji ve Biyokimya, Farmakoloji ve Toksikoloji, Mikrobiyoloji, FİZYOLOJİ, FARMAKOLOJİ VE ECZACILIK, BİYOTEKNOLOJİ VE UYGULAMALI MİKROBİYOLOJİ, Life Sciences (LIFE), BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY, PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, MICROBIOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY, PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY, BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Moleküler Tıp, Farmakoloji, Physiology, Molecular Medicine, Pharmacology, COVID-19 restrictions, Lipid-lowering drugs, Medication use, Statins
Citation
Vizdiklar C., AYDIN V., Tazegul G., KAŞKAL M., AKICI A., "Use of lipid-lowering drugs in restricted health access settings: Results from the Trends in Drug Utilization During COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey (PANDUTI-TR) study", Vascular Pharmacology, cilt.156, 2024