TY - JOUR

T1 - Socioeconomic Variations in Use of Prescription Medicines for COPD

T2 - A Register-Based Study

AU - Jacobsen, Ramune

AU - Ekholm, Ola

AU - Rasmussen, Niels K.

AU - Hansen, Ebba Holme

AU - Frølich, Anne

N1 - Copyright © 2016 by Daedalus Enterprises.

PY - 2016/7/1

Y1 - 2016/7/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine socioeconomic variations in the use of prescription medicines among elderly subjects with COPD.METHODS: Data from the Danish national administrative registers were used. The study population included 1,365 individuals >60 y old residing in the Municipality of Copenhagen and diagnosed with COPD in a hospital setting in 2007. Logistic regression analysis was applied to examine the associations between the use of all prescription medicines for obstructive pulmonary diseases and the use of long-acting bronchodilators, in subject groups of different socioeconomic position.RESULTS: The study demonstrated that approximately 90% of subjects with COPD purchased at least one prescription medicine for obstructive pulmonary diseases, whereas approximately 50% purchased a long-acting bronchodilator. Medicine use did not vary according to educational status or personal wealth.CONCLUSIONS: There were no systematic socioeconomic differences in the use of relevant prescription medicines in elderly subjects diagnosed with COPD in hospital settings in Copenhagen. However, our findings indicate a gap between guideline recommendations and observed use of long-acting bronchodilators and hence suboptimal quality of treatment in the elderly COPD population.

AB - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine socioeconomic variations in the use of prescription medicines among elderly subjects with COPD.METHODS: Data from the Danish national administrative registers were used. The study population included 1,365 individuals >60 y old residing in the Municipality of Copenhagen and diagnosed with COPD in a hospital setting in 2007. Logistic regression analysis was applied to examine the associations between the use of all prescription medicines for obstructive pulmonary diseases and the use of long-acting bronchodilators, in subject groups of different socioeconomic position.RESULTS: The study demonstrated that approximately 90% of subjects with COPD purchased at least one prescription medicine for obstructive pulmonary diseases, whereas approximately 50% purchased a long-acting bronchodilator. Medicine use did not vary according to educational status or personal wealth.CONCLUSIONS: There were no systematic socioeconomic differences in the use of relevant prescription medicines in elderly subjects diagnosed with COPD in hospital settings in Copenhagen. However, our findings indicate a gap between guideline recommendations and observed use of long-acting bronchodilators and hence suboptimal quality of treatment in the elderly COPD population.

U2 - 10.4187/respcare.04335

DO - 10.4187/respcare.04335

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26786740

VL - 61

SP - 943

EP - 949

JO - Respiratory Care

JF - Respiratory Care

SN - 0020-1324

IS - 7

ER -