International time trends and differences in topical actinic keratosis therapy utilizationCapsule Summary

Heather J. Zhao, ScM; Inna Ushcatz, MSc; Mina Tadrous, PharmD, PhD; Valeria Aoki, MD; Aileen Y. Chang, MD; Nick J. Levell, MD; Lena Von Schuckmann, MD; Aaron M. Drucker, MD, ScM

JAAD International (Sep 2024)

International time trends and differences in topical actinic keratosis therapy utilizationCapsule Summary

Heather J. Zhao, ScM,
Inna Ushcatz, MSc,
Mina Tadrous, PharmD, PhD,
Valeria Aoki, MD,
Aileen Y. Chang, MD,
Nick J. Levell, MD,
Lena Von Schuckmann, MD,
Aaron M. Drucker, MD, ScM

Affiliations

Heather J. Zhao, ScM: Department of Medicine, Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Inna Ushcatz, MSc: Department of Medicine, Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Mina Tadrous, PharmD, PhD: Department of Medicine, Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Valeria Aoki, MD: Department of Dermatology, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, São Paulo Estado, Brazil
Aileen Y. Chang, MD: Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Dermatology, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, San Francisco, California
Nick J. Levell, MD: Department of Dermatology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, UK
Lena Von Schuckmann, MD: University of Queensland, Frazer Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Aaron M. Drucker, MD, ScM: Department of Medicine, Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Correspondence to: Aaron M. Drucker, MD, ScM, Department of Medicine, Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, 76 Grenville St, Toronto, ON M5S 1B2, Canada.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 16
pp. 18 – 25

Abstract

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Background: Actinic Keratoses (AK) are precancerous lesions that can lead to Squamous Cell Carcinoma. International differences in the utilization of topical medications to treat AK are not well described. Objectives: To describe international differences in topical AK medication utilization, including associations of countries’ economic status with AK medication utilization. Methods: We used IQVIA MIDAS pharmaceutical sales data for 65 countries (42 high-income, 24 middle-income) from April 2011 to December 2021. We calculated each country’s quarterly utilization of medications in grams per 1000 population. We used univariable linear regression to assess the association between country economic status and AK medication utilization. Results: High-income countries used 15.37 more grams per 1000 population of 5-fluorouracil (95% CI: 9.68, 21.05), 4.64 more grams per 1000 population of imiquimod (95% CI: 3.45, 5.83), and 0.32 more grams per 1000 population of ingenol mebutate (95% CI: 0.05, 0.60). Limitations: Missing medication utilization data for some countries. Conclusion: High-income countries use more topical AK therapies than middle-income countries.

Published in JAAD International

ISSN: 2666-3287 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Medicine: Dermatology
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/jaad-international

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