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[Drug prescribing for 0-12-year-old children in Norway]
1Institutt for farmakoterapi, Universitetet i Oslo.
Insights
A 1986 Norwegian study found significant drug prescribing in children, with respiratory drugs and systemic antibiotics being most common. Boys received more prescriptions than girls, and infants were prescribed drugs most frequently.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric pharmacotherapeutics
- Drug utilization studies
- Public health pharmacy
Context:
- A 1986 study in Norway examined drug prescriptions for children aged 0-12 years.
- Data was collected from 87% of Norwegian pharmacies over one week, recording 7587 prescriptions.
- Prescribing patterns varied geographically, with Hedmark county showing the highest rates and Troms the lowest.
Purpose:
- To analyze drug prescribing patterns in pediatric populations.
- To identify the most commonly prescribed drug classes and their usage in children.
- To compare drug prescription rates between genders and age groups.
Summary:
- Respiratory drugs accounted for over 43% of prescriptions, with anti-asthmatics being the largest subgroup and prescribed more to boys.
- Systemic antibiotics were the most frequently prescribed single drug group (30%), with usage not aligning with national recommendations.
- Infants (0-1 year) received drugs ten times more often than older children, and 3% of infants were prescribed medication during the study week.
Impact:
- Highlights potential areas for improved rational drug use in pediatric populations.
- Identifies specific drug classes and demographic groups with high prescription rates for further investigation.
- Provides baseline data for evaluating changes in pediatric prescribing practices over time.
Abstract:
The first part of a project initiated at the Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, University of Oslo, on use of drugs in the treatment of children involved a study of prescriptions in September 1986. All pharmacies in the country were asked to record all drugs prescribed to 0-12 year old children during one week. 87 per cent of all Norwegian pharmacies took part in the study and data were recorded for 7587 prescribed drugs. Drug prescribing was highest in the county of Hedmark, and lowest in the county of Troms. For the age group 0-10 years 23 per cent more drugs were prescribed to boys than to girls. Infants (0-1 year) were prescribed drugs ten times more often than the oldest children. 3 per cent of the infants (0-1 year) were prescribed drugs during the week the study took place. More than 43 per cent of the total prescriptions were for drugs for the respiratory organs. Anti-asthmatics comprised the largest subgroup (796 prescribed drugs). Boys were prescribed 65 per cent more anti-asthmatics than girls. Every 20th of the total prescriptions was for an oral decongestant. There are few rational reasons for prescribing drugs in this group. As a single group, systemic antibiotics were the drugs most often prescribed, and accounted for as much as 30 per cent of the total prescriptions. The observed choice of antibiotics does not seem to agree with Norwegian recommendations.