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Prescription drug dispensing profiles for one million children: a population-based analysis

Tingting Zhang1, M Anne Smith, Pat G Camp

  • 1Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
|July 14, 2012
PubMed

Insights

In 2007, over half of children in British Columbia received at least one prescription. Drug dispensing patterns varied significantly between British Columbia, the US, and Europe, particularly for psychoanaleptics.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric pharmacology
  • Epidemiology
  • Health services research

Background:

  • Population-based drug utilization databases are crucial for epidemiological studies but are scarce.
  • This study addresses the need for comprehensive data on pediatric medication use.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine prescription-dispensing rates in children in British Columbia (BC).
  • To compare pediatric medication dispensing in BC with the United States (US) and Europe.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized BC's provincial outpatient prescription dispensing database for children aged 0-17 years (n=855,541) in 2007.
  • Classified all dispensed prescriptions using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) system.
  • Calculated prevalence of drug dispensing by age group, gender, and therapeutic class.

Main Results:

  • Fifty-five percent of BC children received at least one prescription in 2007.
  • Commonly dispensed drug classes included antibacterials, dermatological corticosteroids, and respiratory medications.
  • Psychoanaleptic dispensing was 2-5 times higher than in Europe but 30% lower than in the US.

Conclusions:

  • Approximately half of BC children under 18 received a prescription in 2007.
  • Significant international variations in pediatric drug dispensing exist.
  • Further research is needed to explore factors influencing these disparities and their clinical outcomes.
Abstract

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