Patterns of drug use during a 15 year period: data from a Swedish county, 1988--2002.

PURPOSE: To present and interpret drug prescription patterns, related to various groups of the population in a Swedish county, in order to estimate the prevalence of drug use in different age groups.

METHODS

Data on prescriptions, dispensed March-May 1988-2002, were combined with population statistics of Halland, a county in the south of Sweden, and analysed. Number of defined daily doses (DDD) per 100 inhabitants and day and prescriptions per 100 inhabitants and 3 months were used as indicators of drug prevalence.

RESULTS

The total drug exposure in the population of Halland nearly doubled during the 15-year period. The most frequently used drugs overall, in 2002, were psycholeptics (N05), analgesics (N02), antibacterials (J01) and sex hormones (G03). Nearly 30% of the women of 15-69 years were exposed to sex hormones. Multiplied drug prevalence among people above 60 was found for antithrombotic drugs (B01), agents acting on the renin-angiotensin system (C09), sex hormones (G03), serum lipid reducing agents (C10), antidepressants (N06) and drugs for peptic ulcer and GORD (A02B).

CONCLUSIONS

The increase in drug prescribing over the 15 years concerned both symptom-related treatments, like hormone replacement therapy, analgesics, antidepressants and drugs for acid-related disorders, as well as preventive treatments, like antithrombotics, lipid-lowering drugs and antihypertensives. The unit DDD/100 inhabitants and day gives a fairly correct measure of the percentage treated for chronic disorders. However, for short-term treatment courses and especially for drug use in children, number of prescriptions/100 inhabitants and adequate period of time, is easier to interpret.