Korean J Clin Pharm.  2015 Dec;25(4):246-253. 10.0000/kjcp.2015.25.4.246.

Analysis of Drug Utilization for Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis

• Kang HB
• Je NK

• KMID: 2226418
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.0000/kjcp.2015.25.4.246

Abstract

BACKGROUND
& OBJECT: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes ankylosis and deformation of axial joints. Since current medicine cannot cure the disease yet, alleviating pain and preventing deformation with medications are the main therapy for patients with AS. The key medications for these purposes include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors. This study aims to analyze prescribing patterns of AS patients in South Korea. METHOD: National Patients Sample data compiled by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service from 2013 was analyzed. Patients with AS were identified with Korean Standard Classification of Diseases code-6, which was M45. The rates of prescription, discontinuation, and switching ingredients were calculated for each medication during 2013.
RESULTS
Total number of patients was 655, and most of them were male (n = 514, 78.5%). Of all age groups, the proportion of 30-40 year old patients was the greatest (35.1%). The most utilized drug class was NSAIDs (82.4%). Less than half of patients were prescribed TNF-alpha inhibitors (n = 212, 32.4%). Meloxicam, aceclofenac, and celecoxib were the most frequently prescribed NSAIDs. In case of TNF-alpha inhibitors, adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab were the top three most prescribed drugs. Although not recommended by the current practice guideline, significant proportions of patients were identified using disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).
CONCLUSION
Considering the current practice guideline and previous studies about the efficacy, the use of DMARDs should be reduced and medical insurance term in South Korea should be re-examined.

Keyword

ankylosing spondylitis; drug utilization; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs; tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors

MeSH Terms

Ankylosis
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
Antirheumatic Agents
Classification
Drug Utilization*
Humans
Insurance
Insurance, Health
Joints
Korea
Male
Prescriptions
Spondylitis, Ankylosing*
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
Adalimumab
Celecoxib
Infliximab
Etanercept
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
Antirheumatic Agents
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha