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KMID : 1011320080010010060
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Journal of Pharmacoepidemiology and Risk Management
2008 Volume.1 No. 1 p.60 ~ p.67
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Benzodiazepine Prescription Patterns for the Elderly Patients at Ambulatory Care in Korea
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Kim Ye-Jee
Chang Yoo-Soo
Choi Nam-Kyong
Park Byung-Joo
Jung Sun-Young
Kim Hwa-Jung
Seong Jong-Mi
Lee Joong-Yub
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Abstract
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Objectives: To investigate the prescription patterns of benzodiazepines (BZDs) and to examine the prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescription for the elderly patients in Korea.
Methods: BZDs prescription pattern was assessed using the Korea Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) database between January 2005 and June 2006. BZDs were categorized as long acting (t1/2≥24 hr) and short acting (t1/2<24 hr). The prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescription was assessed based on Beers’ criteria. Prescribing patterns between types of medical service or regions were compared using chi-square tests.
Results: Overall 2,175,209 elderly patients (1,466,978 female, 67.4%) received at least one prescription for BZDs. Total number of prescribed BZDs was 20,876,257, of which the prescriptions for long acting BZDs accounted for 53.7%. Among the long acting BZDs, diazepam was most frequently used (48.6%). The long acting BZDs prescriptions were most frequent in primary care service. Proportion of patients was relatively high in Daejeon, Daegu and Gwangju. Among the patients being prescribed long-acting BZDs, the numbers of those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or stress urinary incontinence were 148,909 (9.2%) and 3,973 (0.24%), respectively. The durations of short acting BZDs prescription varied with types of medical institution (p<0.01).
Conclusion: More than half of elderly patients were prescribed long acting BZDs. Potentially appropriate prescription based on Beers’ criteria was not rare for the elderly in Korea, and this varied with geographic regions. There is a need for preventive strategies of inappropriate BZDs prescription in the elderly outpatients in Korea.
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KEYWORD
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Benzodiazepine, Drug utilization review, Aged, Ambulatory care
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