Abstract
Background Several factors influence the choice of antihypertensive drugs. To facilitate the rational use of drugs it is important to assess their prescription patterns over time. This study aims to evaluate doctors' prescribing patterns of antihypertensive drugs for drug-naïve patients in South Korea. Methods The claims data of the Korean National Health Insurance Research Database from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2015 were analyzed. The data virtually cover the entire South Korean population. Antihypertensive drugs were further subdivided into angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis), calcium channel blockers (CCBs), beta-blockers (BBs), and thiazide diuretics. The prescription pattern of antihypertensive drugs and associated factors were assessed according to the patients' characteristics, including associated comorbidities. Results A total of 2,919,162 subjects had started taking antihypertension medications during the study period. ARB was the most frequently prescribed drug (51.6%) followed by CCB (45.0%), BB (18.5%), diuretics (17.0%), and ACEi (11.7%). Most patients were prescribed with monotherapy (66.7%) rather than combination therapy (33.3%), and CCB was the most frequently prescribed monotherapy drug (25.7%). For combination therapy, ARB + CCB was the most frequently prescribed combination, and the prescription frequency was found to be increasing. In patients prescribed with combination therapy, most had been prescribed single-pill fixed-dose combination. Conclusion We identified the physicians' prescription patterns of antihypertensive drugs for treatment-naïve patients. The findings of this study can lead to a rational, evidence-based, and cost-effective improvement of prescription patterns in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients.
Highlights
Hypertension is a common chronic condition which is associated with various complications including cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease
The Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) is the sole insurer providing a mandatory universal health insurance which virtually covers the entire Korean population and a medical aid program to those in the lowest income bracket who are covered by government funding
Physicians’ prescription patterns of antihypertensive drugs for treatment-naıve patients were identified using the National Health Insurance claims data. e strength of this study is its generalizability, as it uses claims data collected from the entire South Korean population and assess data over a 5-year period which allows for the identification of trends in prescription patterns
Summary
Hypertension is a common chronic condition which is associated with various complications including cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. There have been several studies on prescription patterns of antihypertensives in other countries, they are not relevant in the International Journal of Hypertension. Is study aims to evaluate doctors’ prescribing patterns of antihypertensive drugs for drug-naıve patients in South Korea. E prescription pattern of antihypertensive drugs and associated factors were assessed according to the patients’ characteristics, including associated comorbidities. Most patients were prescribed with monotherapy (66.7%) rather than combination therapy (33.3%), and CCB was the most frequently prescribed monotherapy drug (25.7%). ARB + CCB was the most frequently prescribed combination, and the prescription frequency was found to be increasing. We identified the physicians’ prescription patterns of antihypertensive drugs for treatment-naıve patients. E findings of this study can lead to a rational, evidence-based, and cost-effective improvement of prescription patterns in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients We identified the physicians’ prescription patterns of antihypertensive drugs for treatment-naıve patients. e findings of this study can lead to a rational, evidence-based, and cost-effective improvement of prescription patterns in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients
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