Did the removal of the indication of nocturnal enuresis for intranasal desmopressin change prescribing practice?

Changes in prescribing trends and initial pharmacotherapy of children with nocturnal enuresis in Japan: a large-scale medical claims database analysis

PURPOSE

We analyzed the annual trends in and initial choice of pharmacotherapy for children with nocturnal enuresis (NE) using a large-scale medical claims database in Japan.

METHODS

A retrospective descriptive study performed using data from the Japan Medical Data Center between January 2005 and March 2019 involving 23,814 registrants under 16 years of age. In the first cohort of children with NE, we analyzed the comorbidities and associated annual pharmacotherapy prescribing trends. In the second cohort of only newly diagnosed cases, we analyzed the first prescribed age and initial choice of pharmacotherapy.

RESULTS

A total of 3494 children with NE were identified (mean age, 5.1 ± 3.6 years; male, 66.0%). An incremental increase in the proportion of children administered NE medications was observed. The proportion of children treated with desmopressin significantly increased, whereas the prescription of tricyclic antidepressants significantly decreased and that of anticholinergics did not significantly change. Among the newly diagnosed children, 1897 were treated with approximately 90% of the prescribed monotherapy. Sublingual desmopressin monotherapy accounts for more than half of the initial pharmacotherapy from 2016 onward. Regardless of the drug class, pharmacological therapy was commonly initiated at the age of 8.3 ± 2.1 years.

CONCLUSIONS

In Japan, the proportion of children treated with pharmacotherapy has been increasing. Furthermore, since the introduction of desmopressin sublingual formulations in 2012, a paradigm shift has occurred and this form of medication is now the most commonly prescribed, both from the annual perspective and as an initial choice among the newly diagnosed.

Ten common questions (and their answers) about off-label drug use

The term off-label drug use (OLDU) is used extensively in the medical literature, continuing medical education exercises, and the media. Yet, we propose that many health care professionals have an underappreciation of its definition, prevalence, and implications. This article introduces and answers 10 questions regarding OLDU in an effort to clarify the practice's meaning, breadth of application, acceptance, and liabilities. Off-label drug use involves prescribing medications for indications, or using a dosage or dosage form, that have not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Since the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the practice of medicine, OLDU has become common. It occurs in every specialty of medicine, but it may be more common in areas of medicine in which the patient population is less likely to be included in clinical trials (eg, pediatric, pregnant, or psychiatric patients). Pharmaceutical companies are not allowed to promote their medications for an off-label use, which has lead to several large settlements for illegal marketing. To limit liability, physicians should prescribe medications only for indications that they believe are in the best interest of the patient. In addition, health care professionals should educate themselves about OLDU to weigh the risks and benefits and provide the best possible care for their patients.

Which treatments do children with newly diagnosed non-organic urinary incontinence receive? An analysis of 3,188 outpatient cases from Germany

AIMS

Objectives of this study were to examine the administrative incidence of urinary incontinence in children and to assess related outpatient health services utilization in this cohort.

METHODS

Data of a statutory health insurance company were analyzed and outpatients from 1 to 18 years of age with a first recorded ICD-10 code for non-organic urinary incontinence during a 1-year-period (2007) were identified. For this cohort, the prescription of desmopressin, antispasmodics, non-selective monoamine reuptake inhibitors, alarm devices, and incontinence pads in the quarter of the first diagnosis and in the following one (i.e., 6 months) was evaluated with respect to age and gender.

RESULTS

3,188 patients (59.4% male; mean age 6.8 years) matched the inclusion criteria, of whom 25.4% were under 5 years old. 7.9% were prescribed desmopressin, 7.4% received urinary antispasmodics, and 7.0% were treated with alarm devices. For 77.9% of patients, no specific incontinence-related treatments were prescribed. We found considerable differences in treatment patterns between age groups, with patients ≥ 7 years receiving desmopressin more frequently than alarm devices. Regarding gender differences, the proportion of males treated with alarm devices (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.46; 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1.11-1.92) and at least one specific treatment (PR 1.19; 95%CI 1.04-1.35) remained statistically significantly higher, even after adjusting for age.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, we found evidence that treatment modalities only partly comply with the current guidelines for treatment of children and adolescents with non-organic urinary incontinence. Therefore, the dissemination of current guidelines remains a major educational goal.