![Sample our Bioscience journals, sign in here to start your access, Latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5925/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Bioscience.jpg"})
SUMMARY
Background: Selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors were recently introduced for the treatment of arthritis because of their lower rates of gastrointestinal adverse events compared with traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Objective: To examine the medication usage patterns for both osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Korea.
Methods: The medical charts of a convenience sample of 402 patients with OA or RA were reviewed by the Arthritis Study Group in 14 hospitals and ten clinics in Korea.
Results: Traditional oral NSAIDs were the most commonly prescribed drugs for OA (68.3%) and RA (65.1%) patients. Two-thirds (66.7%) of the RA patients taking COX-2 inhibitors were prescribed
other arthritis medications concurrently and 85.1% of RA patients taking NSAIDs were prescribed other arthritis medications concurrently. Patients on NSAIDs were almost twice as likely to have a gastroprotective agent (GPA) concurrently compared to COX-2 inhibitor users (OA patients 38.1% vs 21.2%; RA patients 57.9% vs 30.6%). Overall, patients taking COX-2 inhibitors were less likely to take GPAs concurrently compared to patients not taking COX-2 inhibitors (unadjusted OR 0.36; adjusted OR 0.39).
Conclusions: Traditional oral NSAIDs were commonly prescribed to arthritis patients in Korea. In this study, patients taking COX-2 inhibitors were prescribed less adjunctive arthritis treatments and less gastroprotective agents than traditional oral NSAID users.