Real-life treatment of rhinitis in Australia: a historical cohort study of prescription and over-the-counter therapies for patients with and without additional respiratory disease

Figures & data

Table 1 Sample characteristics of pharmacy transactions in different geographic regions of Australia over 24 months

State/territory	Pharmacies, n	All transactions, na	All transactions including rhinitis therapy, na	All transactions including rhinitis therapy without asthma/COPD therapy, n (%)a	All transactions including rhinitis therapy with asthma/COPD therapy, n (%)a
ACT	30	379,839	215,527	207,282 (96.2)	8,245 (3.8)
NSW	235	2,405,577	1,243,143	1,186,927 (95.5)	56,216 (4.5)
NT	3	43,472	21,328	20,416 (95.7)	912 (4.3)
QLD	210	1,738,886	870,898	836,007 (96.0)	34,891 (4.0)
SA	40	382,983	184,013	175,734 (95.5)	8,279 (4.5)
TAS	25	168,083	74,339	71,507 (96.2)	2,832 (3.8)
VIC	203	1,895,063	907,978	873,903 (96.2)	34,075 (3.8)
WA	119	1,320,569	729,967	702,720 (96.3)	27,247 (3.7)
Total	909	8,334,472	4,247,193	4,074,495 (95.9)	172,697 (4.1)

Notes:

a Individual patients cannot be tracked in this dataset. The data shown are the number of pharmacy transactions.

Table 2 List of drugs included in each therapeutic class

Oral antihistamine	Intranasal corticosteroid	Nonsteroidal nasal spray, ie, other nasal topical treatment	Intranasal combination antihistamine/corticosteroid	Leukotriene receptor antagonist	Eye drop for allergic conjunctivitis
Acrivastinea	Beclomethasone dipropionatea	Azelastine hydrochloridea	Azelastine/fluticasone propionatec	Montelukastc	Ketotifena
Alimemazine tartrateb	Budesonidea	Ipratropium bromidea		Zafirlukastc	Lodoxamidea
Alimemazine tartrate fortec	Fluticasone propionatea	Oxymetazoline hydrochloridea			Olopatadinec
Cetirizinea	Fluticasone furoatec	Cromolyna			Sodium cromoglycatea
Chlorphenaminea	Mometasone furoatea	Ephedrine hydrochloridec
Cyproheptadine hydrochlorideb	Triamcinolone acetonidea	Xylometazoline hydrochloridea
Desloratadinea		Sodium Cromoglycatea
Diphenhydramineb		Oxymetazoline hydrochloridea
Doxylamineb		Levocabastinea
Fexofenadinea		Tramazolinea
Loratadinea
Pheniraminea
Promethazine hydrochlorideb

Notes:

a Schedule 2, available over-the-counter in all Australian regions except Queensland and the Northern Territory where they are stored in a secure area with the requirement of pharmacist intervention.

b Schedule 3, “pharmacist only medicines” that are stored in a secure area with the requirement of pharmacist intervention.

c Schedule 4, prescription medicines.

Figure 1 Proportion of transactions where multiple “classes” of rhinitis therapy purchased without asthma/COPD therapy from pharmacies in NSW and ACT (n=1,394,209); QLD and NT (n=856,423); VIC, SA and TAS (n=1,121,144); and WA (n=702,720) and with asthma/COPD therapy in NSW and ACT (n=64,461); QLD and NT (n=35,803); VIC, SA and TAS (n=45,186); and WA (n=27,247).

Figure 2 Proportion of transactions where OAH, INS and ONT were purchased as single therapy without asthma/COPD therapy from pharmacies in NSW and ACT (n=1,394,209); QLD and NT (n=856,423); VIC, SA and TAS (n=1,121,144); and WA (n=702,720) and with asthma/COPD therapy in NSW and ACT (n=64,461); QLD and NT (n=35,803); VIC, SA and TAS (n=45,186); and WA (n=27,247).

Abbreviations: OAH, oral antihistamine; INS, intranasal corticosteroid; NNS, non-steroidal nasal spray; ONT, other nasal topical treatment.

Figure 3 Proportion of transactions where dual OAH and intranasal corticosteroid therapy and dual intranasal corticosteroid and NNS were purchased without asthma/COPD therapy from pharmacies in NSW and ACT (n=1,394,209); QLD and NT (n=856,423); VIC, SA and TAS (n=1,121,144); and WA (n=702,720) and with asthma/COPD therapy in NSW and ACT (n=64,461); QLD and NT (n=35,803); VIC, SA and TAS (n=45,186); and WA (n=27,247).

Abbreviations: OAH, oral antihistamine; INS, intranasal corticosteroid; NNS, non-steroidal nasal spray.

Figure 4 Proportion of transactions where both OTC and prescription OAHs, INSs and NNSs were purchased as single therapy without asthma/COPD therapy from pharmacies in NSW and ACT (n=1,337,146); QLD and NT (n=835,375); VIC, SA and TAS (n=1,068,786); and WA (n=676,398).

Abbreviations: OAH, oral antihistamine; INS, intranasal corticosteroid; NNS, non-steroidal nasal spray; OTC, over-the-counter.

Figure 5 Proportion of transactions where both OTC and prescription OAHs, INSs and NNSs were purchased as single therapy with asthma/COPD therapy from pharmacies in NSW and ACT (n=61,428); QLD and NT (n=34,754); VIC, SA and TAS (n=43,219); and WA (n=26,166).

Abbreviations: OAH, oral antihistamine; INS, intranasal corticosteroid; NNS, non-steroidal nasal spray; OTC, over-the-counter.