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Van Ganse E, Belhassen M, Ginoux M, Chrétien E, Cornu C, Ecoffey C, Aubrun F. Use of analgesics in France, following dextropropoxyphene withdrawal. BMC Health Serv Res 2018; 18:231. [PMID: 29609613 PMCID: PMC5880096 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-018-3058-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In 2009, the European Medicines Agency recommended withdrawal of dextropropoxyphene (DXP); in March 2011 it was withdrawn from the market in France. Up until that time the combination dextropropoxyphene-paracetamol (DXP/PC) was widely used for analgesia. At withdrawal, French regulators recommended that DXP/PC be replaced by other step 2 analgesics, i.e. tramadol, codeine, or opium-containing drugs, or by PC for a weak level of pain. To investigate prescribing behaviours after DXP/PC withdrawal, dispensations of analgesics before and after withdrawal were analysed. Methods Aggregated dispensation data of analgesics prescribed between January 2009 and December 2012 in the Rhône-Alpes region were obtained from the general health insurance claims data; changes in analgesic dispensation over time were analysed with the ATC/DDD methodology. Pre (Jan-June 2009) and post-withdrawal (Jan-June 2012) changes of DDDs where computed for each analgesic step. Results The dispensations of DXP/PC experienced a two-step decrease until 2011. Over the withdrawal period 2009-2012, there was a 14% decrease in the overall use of analgesic (from 109 to 94 DDDs), while the use of step 2 analgesics declined by 46% (− 22 DDDs, from 47 to 25 DDDs). This latter decline included a cessation of use of DXP/PC (29 DDDs in 2009) that were only in part (+ 7 DDDs, from 18 to 25 DDDs) compensated by increased use of codeine, tramadol and opium, in monotherapy or combined with PC. For step 1 analgesics, use increased with 9%, mostly PC (+ 8 DDDs, from 31 to 39 DDDs). Step 3 analgesics dispensations remained largely unchanged over this period (around 3 DDDs). Conclusions In the Rhône-Alpes region, DXP/PC withdrawal was accompanied in part by an increased use of same level analgesics, and in part by an increased use of PC in monotherapy. The extent of DXP/PC use before withdrawal, and the increased use of PC after DXP withdrawal, underline the complexity of pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Van Ganse
- HESPER 7425, Health Services and Performance Research, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France. .,PELyon, PharmacoEpidemiologie Lyon, Lyon, France. .,Respiratory Medicine, Croix Rousse University Hospital, Lyon, France.
| | - M Belhassen
- HESPER 7425, Health Services and Performance Research, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.,PELyon, PharmacoEpidemiologie Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - M Ginoux
- HESPER 7425, Health Services and Performance Research, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.,PELyon, PharmacoEpidemiologie Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - E Chrétien
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Croix Rousse University Hospital, Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University, Lyon, France
| | - C Cornu
- UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Claude Bernard University, CNRS, Lyon, France.,Louis Pradel Hospital, Lyon University, Lyon, France INSERM Clinical Investigation Centre (CIC1407), Lyon, France
| | - C Ecoffey
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Ponchaillou University Hospital, CIC Inserm, Rennes, France
| | - F Aubrun
- HESPER 7425, Health Services and Performance Research, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.,Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Croix Rousse University Hospital, Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University, Lyon, France
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