Variability in the Use of New Drugs in a Primary Care District

Abstract

Background: The use of new drugs has undergone a major increase in recent years. This study is aimed at ascertaining the degree to which pharmaceutical novelties are being used in one healthcare district in Zaragoza, describing which are those most used and the trend thereof over the course of time in addition to analyzing the characteristics of those centers associated with a greater use of these drugs. Methods: A descriptive study analyzing all of the dispensations of fifty new active ingredients marketed within the January 1, 2000 - December 31, 2003 period in one healthcare district. The percentage of use of novelties throughout the first year these drugs were marketed at each primary care center was calculated, the characteristics of those centers associated with a greater degree of innovation having been analyzed. Results: Seventy-six percent of the fifty new drugs marketed were barely innovative in comparison to the existing ones. The ten new drugs most prescribed began being used during the first four months immediately after coming out on the market. The percentage of use of new drugs as compared to all of the drugs prescribed at the healthcare centers studied fell within the 0.3% -1.18% range. In the analysis made by centers, the «per-patient expense» and the «consultations per physician» are positively correlated with a greater use of new drugs, whilst the percentage of retirees showed a reverse ratio. Conclusions: A high degree of variability exists in the percentage of use of pharmaceutical novelties among the primary care centers. The centers having the largest number of consultations per physician are those tending toward more readily incorporating these new drugs.