Dataset Information

Effect of regulatory warnings on antipsychotic prescription rates among elderly patients with dementia: a population-based time-series analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Three warnings of serious adverse events associated with the use of atypical antipsychotic drugs among elderly patients with dementia were sent to health care professionals in Canada. We assessed the impact of these warnings on prescription rates of antipsychotic drugs in this patient population.

Methods

We used prescription drug claims data from Ontario to calculate prescription rates of atypical and conventional antipsychotic drugs among elderly patients with dementia from May 1, 2000, to Feb. 28, 2007. We performed a time-series analysis to estimate the effect of each warning on rates of antipsychotic drug use.

Results

Before the first warning, growth in the use of atypical antipsychotics was responsible for an increasing rate of overall antipsychotic use. Each warning was associated with a small relative decrease in the predicted growth in the use of atypical antipsychotic drugs: a 5.0% decrease after the first warning, 4.9% after the second and 3.2% after the third (each p < 0.05). The overall prescription rate of antipsychotic drugs among patients with dementia increased by 20%, from 1512 per 100 000 elderly patients in September 2002, the month before the first warning, to 1813 per 100 000 in February 2007, 20 months after the last warning.

Interpretation

Although the warnings slowed the growth in the use of atypical antipsychotic drugs among patients with dementia, they did not reduce the overall prescription rate of these potentially dangerous drugs. More effective interventions are necessary to improve postmarket drug safety in vulnerable populations.

SUBMITTER: Valiyeva E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2518182 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Effect of regulatory warnings on antipsychotic prescription rates among elderly patients with dementia: a population-based time-series analysis.

Valiyeva Elmira E Herrmann Nathan N Rochon Paula A PA Gill Sudeep S SS Anderson Geoffrey M GM

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne 20080801 5

<h4>Background</h4>Three warnings of serious adverse events associated with the use of atypical antipsychotic drugs among elderly patients with dementia were sent to health care professionals in Canada. We assessed the impact of these warnings on prescription rates of antipsychotic drugs in this patient population.<h4>Methods</h4>We used prescription drug claims data from Ontario to calculate prescription rates of atypical and conventional antipsychotic drugs among elderly patients with dementia ...[more]

PMID: 18725616

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Project description:ImportanceConcerns have been raised that the use of antipsychotic medication for people living with dementia might have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.ObjectiveTo examine multinational trends in antipsychotic drug prescribing for people living with dementia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design, setting, and participantsThis multinational network cohort study used electronic health records and claims data from 8 databases in 6 countries (France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, the UK, and the US) for individuals aged 65 years or older between January 1, 2016, and November 30, 2021. Two databases each were included for South Korea and the US.ExposuresThe introduction of population-wide COVID-19 restrictions from April 2020 to the latest available date of each database.Main outcomes and measuresThe main outcomes were yearly and monthly incidence of dementia diagnosis and prevalence of people living with dementia who were prescribed antipsychotic drugs in each database. Interrupted time series analyses were used to quantify changes in prescribing rates before and after the introduction of population-wide COVID-19 restrictions.ResultsA total of 857 238 people with dementia aged 65 years or older (58.0% female) were identified in 2016. Reductions in the incidence of dementia were observed in 7 databases in the early phase of the pandemic (April, May, and June 2020), with the most pronounced reduction observed in 1 of the 2 US databases (rate ratio [RR], 0.30; 95% CI, 0.27-0.32); reductions were also observed in the total number of people with dementia prescribed antipsychotic drugs in France, Italy, South Korea, the UK, and the US. Rates of antipsychotic drug prescribing for people with dementia increased in 6 databases representing all countries. Compared with the corresponding month in 2019, the most pronounced increase in 2020 was observed in May in South Korea (Kangwon National University database) (RR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.47-3.02) and June in the UK (RR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.24-3.09). The rates of antipsychotic drug prescribing in these 6 databases remained high in 2021. Interrupted time series analyses revealed immediate increases in the prescribing rate in Italy (RR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.08-1.58) and in the US Medicare database (RR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.20-1.71) after the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions.Conclusions and relevanceThis cohort study found converging evidence that the rate of antipsychotic drug prescribing to people with dementia increased in the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the 6 countries studied and did not decrease to prepandemic levels after the acute phase of the pandemic had ended. These findings suggest that the pandemic disrupted the care of people living with dementia and that the development of intervention strategies is needed to ensure the quality of care.

Dataset Information

Effect of regulatory warnings on antipsychotic prescription rates among elderly patients with dementia: a population-based time-series analysis.

Background

Methods

Results

Interpretation

Publications

Effect of regulatory warnings on antipsychotic prescription rates among elderly patients with dementia: a population-based time-series analysis.

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