TY - JOUR
T1 - Inappropriate use of anti-asthmatic drugs in the Italian paediatric population
AU - Clavenna, Antonio
AU - Rossi, Elisa
AU - Berti, Alessandra
AU - Pedrazzi, Giorgio
AU - De Rosa, Marisa
AU - Bonati, Maurizio
PY - 2003/10
Y1 - 2003/10
N2 - Objective: To evaluate anti-asthmatic drug prescriptions in a large Italian paediatric population. Methods: Prescriptions involving 417,559 children younger than 14 years old dispensed during 2000 by the retail pharmacies of 17 Italian local health units participating in the ARNO project were analysed. Results: In the study, 92,890 children (22.2%) received at least one anti-asthmatic drug prescription. The prevalence of prescriptions was higher in children less than 1 year old, significantly decreased with increasing age, and was higher in boys than in girls. Of children treated with anti-asthmatic drugs, 71.5% received prescriptions of less than three boxes. Beclomethasone, salbutamol, flunisolide and fluticasone were the most prescribed drugs. Beclomethasone and flunisolide were prescribed mostly as nebulised suspension. Conclusions: The data suggest that anti-asthmatic drugs are often prescribed for diseases different from asthma and that many children are exposed to treatments for which there is no evidence of efficacy.
AB - Objective: To evaluate anti-asthmatic drug prescriptions in a large Italian paediatric population. Methods: Prescriptions involving 417,559 children younger than 14 years old dispensed during 2000 by the retail pharmacies of 17 Italian local health units participating in the ARNO project were analysed. Results: In the study, 92,890 children (22.2%) received at least one anti-asthmatic drug prescription. The prevalence of prescriptions was higher in children less than 1 year old, significantly decreased with increasing age, and was higher in boys than in girls. Of children treated with anti-asthmatic drugs, 71.5% received prescriptions of less than three boxes. Beclomethasone, salbutamol, flunisolide and fluticasone were the most prescribed drugs. Beclomethasone and flunisolide were prescribed mostly as nebulised suspension. Conclusions: The data suggest that anti-asthmatic drugs are often prescribed for diseases different from asthma and that many children are exposed to treatments for which there is no evidence of efficacy.
KW - Asthma
KW - Child
KW - Inhaled corticosteroids
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U2 - 10.1007/s00228-003-0660-9
DO - 10.1007/s00228-003-0660-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 13680035
AN - SCOPUS:0242298127
VL - 59
SP - 565
EP - 569
JO - European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
JF - European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
SN - 0031-6970
IS - 7
ER -