A Nordic registry-based study of drug treatment patterns in overactive bladder patients

Abstract

Aim: To describe treatment patterns in Denmark, Norway and Sweden for patients receiving overactive bladder (OAB) pharmacotherapy.

Methods: This was a prospective, multinational, registry-based study involving three nationwide prescribed drug registries (sample size 6000 patients per country), performed between 1 January and 30 June 2014. Patients were followed prospectively for 12 months after first pick-up of index medication. The primary objective was to evaluate the proportion of patients picking up first refill of index medication. Secondary objectives included evaluation of the average number of pick-ups collected during 1 year and time to discontinuation of index medication.

Results: A high proportion of patients in the three Nordic countries picked up a first refill of OAB medication: 64–75% for mirabegron and 84–95% for individual antimuscarinics. Amongst treatment-naïve patients, the proportion picking up their first mirabegron refill was 60–64%; for individual antimuscarinics it was 30–63%. Mean number of pick-ups during 1 year ranged from 3.5–5.0 for mirabegron across the countries and for individual antimuscarinics from 3.8–12.3. Median time to discontinuation for mirabegron ranged from 140 (Denmark) to 207 days (Norway) and, for individual antimuscarinics (solifenacin), from 182 (Denmark) to 355 days (Sweden). At 12 months, the proportion of patients still on treatment with mirabegron and antimuscarinics was 21% and 38%, respectively.

Conclusions: Treatment patterns in patients with OAB picking up a mirabegron or antimuscarinic prescription in Denmark, Norway and Sweden indicate that persistence remains a challenge.

Keywords:

• Antimuscarinic
• Denmark
• mirabegron
• Norway
• overactive bladder
• Sweden

Acknowledgements

Medical writing support was provided by Sue Cooper of Envision Scientific Solutions and funded by Astellas APGD.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Ethics approval was obtained on 17 December 2014. EC approval (Dnr): 892-14. No informed consent is required for this study.

Disclosure statement

IM, HAS, MS, SK and FH participated in the analysis and interpretation of data and contributed to draft writing, review and approval of the submitted manuscript.

Availability of data and materials

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the prescribed drug registries in Denmark, Norway and Sweden (the Statens Serum Institute in Denmark, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Norway, the National Board of Health and Welfare in Sweden), but restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under license for the current study and so are not publicly available. Data are not available from the authors, permission should be obtained from the Statens Serum Institute in Denmark, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Norway and the National Board of Health and Welfare in Sweden in order to replicate the study.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by Astellas Nordic Baltic Op.