Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma in Primary Care: Dispensations Do Not Align with Prescriptions

Figures & data

Figure 1 Patients’ flow chart.

Table 1 Patients’ Characteristics at Baseline (N =3654)

Variables	N (%)
Sex
Male	1389 (38.0)
Female	2665 (62.0)
Mean age in 2010 (SD)	48.1 (±12.3)
Free-access-to-care status	309 (8.5)
CD status for asthma	228 (6.2)
Level of asthma control
Well controlled	1791 (49.0)
Not well controlled	1179 (32.3)
Very poorly controlled	684 (18.7)
Number of patients with at least one dispensation of OCS	1764 (48.3)
Mean number of packs (SD)	2.48 (±3.56)
Emergency room visits or unscheduled contact with a GP	588 (16.1)

Abbreviations: CD, chronic disease; OCS, oral corticosteroids; SD standard deviation; GP, general practitioner.

Table 2 Intervals Between Successive DA-GP Prescriptions, in Days (in Patients with 2 or More Prescriptions for Asthma or Rhinitis Treatments, n=2814)

			Intervals Between Successive Prescriptions (in Days)
Treatment Class	N Patients	N Prescriptions	Mean (SD)	Median (Min-Max)
Asthma treatments
LABA	235	839	102.9 (55.9)	91.0 (13.0–304.0)
ICS/LABA FDCs	1223	4470	101.6 (59.3)	89.5 (4.0–353.0)
ICS	477	1562	96.6 (60.6)	86.0 (1.0–336.0)
LTRA	594	2382	93.4 (53.7)	84.0 (8.0–353.0)
Rhinitis treatments
AHs	1661	6325	96.5 (59.0)	85.5 (3.0–353.0)
NCS	959	3221	99.7 (60.0)	88.5 (3.0–345.0)

Abbreviations: LABAs, long-acting beta agonists; ICS, inhaled corticosteroids; FDCs, fixed-dose combination; LTRA, leukotriene receptor antagonists; AHs, antihistamines; NCS, nasal corticosteroids.

Table 3 Numbers of Refills Associated with Individual Prescriptions Issued by DA-GPs

		Refills Associated with Individual Prescriptions*
Treatment Class	N Prescriptions	Mean (SD)	Median (Min-Max)
Asthma treatments
SABAs	4191	1.2 (1.0)	1.0 (0.0–10.0)
LABAs	953	1.7 (1.2)	1.0 (0.0–7.0)
ICS/LABA FDCs	5145	1.5 (1.1)	1.0 (0.0–7.0)
ICS	2158	1.2 (1.0)	1.0 (0.0–7.0)
LTRAs	2706	1.8 (1.2)	1.0 (0.0–7.0)
Rhinitis treatments
AH	7161	16 (1.2)	1.0 (0.0–7.0)
NCS	3957	1,3 (1.0)	1.0 (0.0–7.0)

Notes: *The patient had 3 months to fill/refill the prescription. A prescription may list several medicines.

Abbreviations: SABAs, short-acting beta agonists; LABAs, long-acting beta agonists; ICS, inhaled corticosteroids; FDCs, fixed-dose combination; LTRA, leukotriene receptor antagonists; AHs, antihistamines; NCS, nasal corticosteroids; SD, standard deviation.

Table 4 Proportion of Days Covered (PDC, in %) by Asthma and Rhinitis Treatments (in Patients with 2 or More Prescriptions, n=2814)

	N Patient	Mean (%) [CI95%]	Standardized Estimate [CI95%]
Asthma treatments	2260
ICS/LABA FDCs	1223	44.9 [44.0–45.9]	1.00 [0.98–1.02] ref
LABAs	235	50.3 [49.5–51.3]	1.12 [1.10–1.14]
ICS	477	37.8 [36.9–38.8]	0.84 [0.82–0.86]
LTRAs	594	58.6 [57.7–59.6]	1.31 [1.29–1.33]
Rhinitis treatments	2054
NCS	959	39.7 [38.8–40.7]	1.00 [0.98–1.03] ref
AHs	1661	50.4 [49.5–51.4]	1.27 [1.25–1.29]

Abbreviations: LABAs, long-acting beta agonists; ICS, inhaled corticosteroids; FDCs, fixed-dose combination (reference for asthma therapy); LTRA, leukotriene receptor antagonists; AHs, antihistamines; NCS, nasal corticosteroids (reference for rhinitis therapy).