International Journal of COPD (Jul 2023)
Patterns and Trends in the Use of Medications for COPD Control in a Cohort of 9476 Colombian Patients, 2017–2019
Abstract
Manuel Enrique Machado-Duque,1,2 Andrés Gaviria-Mendoza,1,2 Luis Fernando Valladales-Restrepo,1,2 Andrés González-Rangel,3 Maria Eugenia Laucho-Contreras,3,4 Jorge Enrique Machado-Alba1 1Grupo de Investigación en Farmacoepidemiología y Farmacovigilancia, Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira – Audifarma S.A, Pereira, Colombia; 2Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas, Pereira, Colombia; 3Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline, Bogotá, Colombia; 4Regional Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline, Bogotá, ColombiaCorrespondence: Jorge Enrique Machado-Alba, Grupo de Investigación en Farmacoepidemiología y Farmacovigilancia. Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira - Audifarma S.A, Calle 105 No. 14-140, Pereira, Risaralda, 660003, Colombia, Tel +57 3108326970, Fax +57 63137822, Email [email protected]: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects approximately 174 million people worldwide. The objective was to determine the trends of COPD medication use in a group of Colombian patients.Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective study on prescription patterns of bronchodilators and other medications used in COPD from a population database with follow-up at 12 and 24 months. Patients older than 18 years of age of any sex with a COPD diagnostic code between 2017 and 2019 were included. Sociodemographic variables, medications, treatment schedules for COPD, comorbidities, comedications, and the specialty of the prescriber were considered.Results: Data from 9476 people with COPD was evaluated. The mean age was 75.9 ± 10.7 years, 50.1% were male, and 86.8% were prescribed by a general practitioner. A total of 57.9% had comorbidities, most often hypertension (44.4%). At the baseline measurement, on average, they received 1.6 medications/patient, mainly short-acting antimuscarinics (3784; 39.9%), followed by short-acting β-agonists (2997, 31.6%) and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) (2239, 23.6%); more than half (5083, 53.6%) received a long-acting bronchodilator. Prescription of triple therapy (antimuscarinic, β-agonist, and ICS) went from 645 (6.8%) at baseline to 1388 (20.6%) at the 12-month mark.Conclusion: This group of patients with COPD treated in Colombia frequently received short-acting bronchodilators and ICS, but a growing proportion are undergoing controlled therapy with long-acting bronchodilators, a situation that can improve the indicators of morbidity, exacerbations, and hospitalization.Keywords: pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive, bronchodilator agents, muscarinic antagonists, pharmacoepidemiology
