Prescription of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and memantine in the Canary islands

Comparison with the spanish population

Abstract

Background: In the Canary Islands the prescriptions billed to the National Health System are registered in a database (FarmaCanarias). The main objective was to estimate the consumption of Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (IACE) and Memantine in Canary Islands and to compare with a Spanish sample from Pharmacoepidemiological Research Base in Primary Care (PRBPC) which is national in scope. As secondary we determined the percentage in treatment in the Spanish sample.

Methods: The prescriptions of IACE and / or memantine in 2017 were calculated as Defined Daily Doses per 100 habitants (DHD) in FarmaCanarias and PRBPC. The prescriptions in FarmaCanarias were disclosed by island and age groups were also compared. The percentage of cases in treatment was calculated in PRBPC from records with diagnosis of “dementia”. All the comparations were made by Pearson’s χ2.

Results: The prescription of IACE and Memantine was: 3.042% (95% CI; 3.039-3.045) and 1.584% (95% CI; 1.582-1.587) in The Canary islands, respectively and 2.545% (95% CI; 2.518-2.572) and 0.922% (95% CI; 0.906-0.938), in PRBPC (p<0.001). DHDs between islands were different, except in two (p<0.001) The distribution by age group between FarmaCanarias and PRBPC was hetereogeneous (p<0.001). The percentage of dementia cases in treatment in PRBPC was 45.51% (95% CI; 45.186-45.838).

Conclusions: The prescription of IACE and Memantine was higher in the Canary Islands, which added to the difference by age group, suggests epidemiological differences in dementia compared to the mainland. There is heterogeneity between islands that could be due to epidemiological factors, provider or the Public Health Service.