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Benzodiazepine utilisation in Australia: report from a new pharmacoepidemiological database
A Mant1, S D Whicker, P McManus
1Drug and Alcohol Program, Eastern Sydney Area Health Service.
Australian Journal of Public Health
|December 1, 1993
Summary
Australian community use of benzodiazepine agents decreased from 1990 to 1991. This decline in benzodiazepine prescriptions may be linked to new guidelines and awareness campaigns.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
- Health Economics
Background:
- Benzodiazepine agents are widely prescribed medications.
- Understanding prescription patterns is crucial for public health initiatives.
- Government subsidy schemes significantly impact medication utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey community prescription use of benzodiazepine agents in Australia for 1990-1991.
- To analyze benzodiazepine utilization within the Pharmaceutical Benefits and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Schemes (PBS/RPBS) from 1987-1991.
- To compare Australian benzodiazepine market composition with Nordic countries.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Drug Utilization Subcommittee (DUSC) database in Australia.
- Included subsidized prescriptions (PBS/RPBS) and private prescriptions from a national pharmacy sample.
- Converted data to defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day (DDD/1000/day) as per WHO standards.
Main Results:
- Benzodiazepine utilization was 33.96 DDD/1000/day in 1990 and 29.31 DDD/1000/day in 1991.
- Four key benzodiazepines (diazepam, oxazepam, nitrazepam, temazepam) comprised 82% of the Australian market.
- Government subsidy availability appears to influence prescribing behavior.
Conclusions:
- Benzodiazepine utilization in Australia has been declining in recent years.
- This decline may be attributed to new guidelines and public awareness campaigns.
- Significant differences exist in the benzodiazepine market composition between Australia and Nordic countries.