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Bindel LJ, Seifert R. Costs are a major driver of antibacterial drug prescriptions in Germany: market analysis from 1985 to 2022. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2024:10.1007/s00210-024-03171-y. [PMID: 38842562 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-024-03171-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, several threatening developments regarding antibacterial drugs, such as rising bacterial resistance and delivery bottlenecks, have occurred. Since antibacterial drugs are crucial for modern medicine, understanding events and influencing factors relevant for long-term developments is essential. Therefore, we analyzed the number of prescriptions and costs, defined daily dose (DDD) and DDD costs of antibacterial drugs in Germany, based on the Arzneiverordnungsreport (AVR, Drug description report) between 1985 and 2022. Based on prescription rates in 2022, we selected the TOP15 and TOP5. For a more in-depth analysis, we analyzed data from the wissenschaftliches Institut der AOK (WidO, scientific institute of the AOK). The number of prescriptions increased between 1985 and 2013, but since 2014, there has been a declining trend with a noticeable COVID-related dip. Over the years, a shift in drug classes occurred. Once very popular drugs like penicillins and tetracyclines are no longer as important. Conversely, aminopenicillins and cephalosporins have become more relevant. Particularly, the TOP5 drugs have seen an increasing proportion. DDD costs have decreased in most substance classes over time. There is a strong association between decreasing costs and rising prescriptions. Falling costs have a stronger immediate impact on prescriptions that rising costs. When costs are very low, drugs might be prescribed excessively. Supply bottlenecks can also result. The main prescribers are mainly in primary care. Their share of prescription has changed little over the years, but is decreasing regarding total consumption. In comparison to other European countries, Germany ranks in the lower third regarding prescriptions. In most countries, the COVID pandemic has led to a reduced prescription of antibacterial drugs. In conclusion, we provided a comprehensive overview of the antibacterial drug market in Germany over the past four decades and identified costs as a major driver of antibacterial drug prescriptions. Increased costs may reduce uncritical prescription of antibacterial drugs, development of bacterial resistance, supply shortages and occurrence of adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roland Seifert
- Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, D-30625, Hannover, Germany.
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Tisch M, Roháč L, Reineke T, Burkart M, Kostev K. Long-term benefits of EPs ® 7630 in patients with acute sinusitis: a real-world cohort study. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1358879. [PMID: 38562459 PMCID: PMC10982470 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1358879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: We evaluated whether EPs® 7630 prescription in patients with acute sinusitis (AS) is associated with less frequent recurrence of AS, occurrence of chronic sinusitis or nasal polyps, or fewer antibiotic prescriptions. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used electronic medical records from the IQVIA Disease Analyzer database. Associations between initial therapy [EPs® 7630, antibiotics, intranasal corticosteroid (INCS), or corticosteroid-free nasal spray within 3 days of AS diagnosis] and AS recurrence, incidence of chronic sinusitis or nasal polyps or rate of antibiotic prescription were studied using multivariable Cox or logistic regression models, adjusting for sex, age, insurance status, month of diagnosis, and comorbidity. Results: A total of 216,360 patients were analyzed. INCS prescription was associated with a higher risk of recurrent AS (HR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.01-1.92) and a higher incidence of chronic sinusitis or nasal polyp diagnosis (HR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.01-1.92) compared to EPs® 7630. Initial antibiotic therapy was significantly associated with higher risk of new antibiotic prescription in the period of 31-365 days after the index date compared to EPs® 7630 (OR: 2.20; 95% CI: 1.66-2.92). Conclusion: EPs® 7630 prescription is associated with long-term benefits in AS patients. EPs® 7630 can help to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use and might reduce the risk of chronic sinusitis or nasal polyps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Tisch
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head- and Neck Surgery, Bundeswehrkrankenhaus, Ulm, Germany
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Peiter T, Haering M, Bradic S, Coutinho G, Kostev K. Reducing Antibiotic Misuse through the Use of Point-of-Care Tests in Germany: A Survey of 1257 Medical Practices. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:2466. [PMID: 37685500 PMCID: PMC10487863 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11172466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Though more than 80% of acute pharyngitis (AP) cases have a viral etiology, it remains one of the most common causes for the unnecessary prescription of antibiotics (ABs). Half of patients receive antibiotics in general practice. Point-of-Care Tests (POCTs) distinguish between bacterial and viral pharyngitis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of POCTs using throat swabs to detect β-Streptococcus pyogenes Group A (strep A) infection among patients with sore throat/acute pharyngitis in primary care practices across Germany. A study was conducted in 1257 primary care practices. Two questionnaires were administered concerning frequency, POCT results and whether antibiotics were prescribed. Of the 1257 physicians, 60% used POCTs. Of these, 25% used a POCT before prescribing an antibiotic, 39% in cases of severe sore throat, 40% in cases of long-lasting pharyngitis and 25% in other cases. In total, 83% considered the adoption of POCTs in everyday practice to be important or very important for the diagnosis of strep A, 90% considered it important or very important for achieving a more sensible use of antibiotics and the prevention of bacterial resistance and 80% considered it important or very important for justifying to patients whether or not an antibiotic is needed. POCT results and information on AB prescriptions were available for 583 patients. Of these, 22.5% tested positive for strep A, and 21.8% were prescribed antibiotics. Our study shows that the use of swab tests in patients with sore throat in primary care practices results in high levels of physician satisfaction and can strongly reduce the misuse of antibiotics in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Peiter
- Reckitt Benckiser Deutschland GmbH, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany; (M.H.)
| | - Monika Haering
- Reckitt Benckiser Deutschland GmbH, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany; (M.H.)
| | - Spasenija Bradic
- Reckitt Benckiser Deutschland GmbH, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany; (M.H.)
| | | | - Karel Kostev
- University Hospital, Philipps-University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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Tanislav C, Rosenbauer J, Kostev K. The COVID-19 Pandemic Enhanced the Decade-Long Trend of the Decreasing Utilization of Antibiotics. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12050927. [PMID: 37237830 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12050927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE/INTRODUCTION A decline in antibiotic (AB) prescriptions was reported during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Therefore, we investigated AB utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic using data from a large database in Germany. METHODS AB prescriptions in the Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA) were analyzed for each year between 2011 and 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to assess developments in relation to age group, sex, and antibacterial substances. Infection incidence rates were also investigated. RESULTS In total, 1,165,642 patients received antibiotic prescriptions during the entire study period (mean age: 51.8; SD: 18.4 years; 55.3% females). AB prescriptions started to decline in 2015 (505 patients per practice), and this development persisted until 2021 (2020: 300 patients per practice and 2021: 266 patients per practice). The sharpest drop was observed in 2020 and occurred in both women and men (27.4% and 30.1%). In the youngest age group (≤30), the decrease was -56%, while in the age group >70, it was -38%. The number of patients with prescriptions for fluoroquinolones dropped the most, falling from 117 in 2015 to 35 in 2021 (-70%), followed by macrolides (-56%) and tetracyclines (-56%). In 2021, 46% fewer patients were diagnosed with acute lower respiratory infections, 19% fewer with chronic lower respiratory diseases, and just 10% fewer with diseases of the urinary system. CONCLUSION AB prescriptions decreased more in the first year (2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic than infectious diseases did. While the factor of older age influenced this trend negatively, it remained unaffected by the factor of sex and the selected antibacterial substance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Tanislav
- Department of Geriatrics and Neurology, Diakonie Hospital Jung Stilling Siegen, Wichernstrasse 40, 57074 Siegen, Germany
| | - Josef Rosenbauer
- Department of Geriatrics and Neurology, Diakonie Hospital Jung Stilling Siegen, Wichernstrasse 40, 57074 Siegen, Germany
| | - Karel Kostev
- Epidemiology, IQVIA, 60549 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Association between Antihypertensive Therapy and Risk of Acute Lower Respiratory Infections (ALRI): A Retrospective Cohort Study. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10112318. [PMID: 36421642 PMCID: PMC9690450 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10112318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the association between antihypertensive drugs and the incidence of acute lower respiratory infections in patients treated in general practices in Germany. Methods: After propensity score matching of five antihypertensive drug classes, a total of 377,470 patients aged ≥18 years were available for analysis. The association between each antihypertensive drug class and ALRI incidence as compared to all other antihypertensive drug classes (as a group) was studied using conditional Cox regression analyses. Because of multiple comparisons and large patient samples, findings were clinically considered relevant when the hazard ratio was <0.85 or >1.15. Results: The regression analyses applied found no clinically relevant associations between antihypertensive drugs and the incidence of acute lower respiratory infections, as all hazard ratios were between 0.85 and 1.15. Conclusion: In the present study, only slight and not clinically relevant increases or decreases in the ALRI incidence were observed. Additional studies are necessary to further explore the risks associated with antihypertensive agents that are widely embedded in today’s clinical practice.
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Prevalence of Antibiotic Prescription in Patients with Acute Rhinosinusitis Treated by General Practitioners and Otolaryngologists in Germany-A Retrospective Cohort Study. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11111576. [PMID: 36358231 PMCID: PMC9686956 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11111576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: The goal of this retrospective cohort study, based on real-world data and conducted in Germany, was to investigate the prevalence of antibiotic (AB) prescription in patients with acute rhinosinusitis (ARS). (2) Methods: Data from the Disease Analyzer database were used for this cross-sectional study. Patients aged ≥18 years diagnosed with acute sinusitis by general practitioners (GPs) and ear, nose, throat (ENT) specialists between January 2012 and December 2020 were included. The main outcome of the study was the proportion of patients with ARS who received an AB prescription on the day of diagnosis or within three days afterwards. The proportion was estimated separately for patients treated by GPs and ENTs, and also for five age groups, as well as women and men. (3) Results: In total, 308,095 patients were diagnosed with ARS (187,838 by GPs and 120,257 by ENTs). 50.9% of patients treated by GPs and 50.0% treated by ENTs received an AB prescription. AB prevalence increased with age from 46.9% in the age group 18−30 years to 55.5% in the age group > 60 years. (4) Conclusions: We have shown a high prevalence of potentially inappropriate AB prescription for adult patients with ARS in both GP and ENT practices and also among both women and men and in several age groups. There is an urgent need for interventions to reduce inappropriate AB use.
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Kostev K, Völp A, Ludwig F, Strehl C, Seifert G. Association between ivy leaves dry extract EA 575 prescriptions and antibiotic use, sick leave duration, and repeated infections in adult patients. Postgrad Med 2022; 134:333-340. [PMID: 34872427 DOI: 10.1080/00325481.2022.2015220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The present study aimed to analyze the association between the prescription of ivy leaf dry extract EA 575 (licensed under the trade name Prospan® in Germany) and the incidence of antibiotic use, incident bacterial complications, and days of sick leave in adult patients with cold diseases. METHODS This retrospective cohort study was based on the IQVIA Disease Analyzer database and included adult patients from 1032 general practices in Germany with a documentation of common cold between 2017 and 2020 (index date) and prescription of either EA 575 or an antibiotic drug within 3 days after index date. 1:1 propensity score matching based on age, sex, index month, physician, health insurance status, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index was carried out. Univariable regression models were used to investigate the association between EA 575 prescription and defined outcomes. RESULTS Data of 7034 patients treated with EA 575 and 7034 matched patients receiving an antibiotic were available. EA 575 prescription was associated with significantly lower odds of an antibiotic prescription in the time periods of 4-30 days (OR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.72-0.96) and 31-365 days (OR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.40-0.48) after the index date. EA 575 prescription was significantly associated with a lower rate of sick leave of more than 7 days (33.0% vs. 37.7%, OR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.73-0.90) in patients with any sick leave, as well as with lower odds of a new cough diagnosis (OR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.85-0.98) when compared to antibiotic prescription. CONCLUSION Our study provides further evidence that the use of phytopharmaceuticals, in particular ivy leaf dry extract EA 575, could contribute to a reduction in the number of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory infection with cough symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andreas Völp
- Psy Consult Scientific Services, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Fanny Ludwig
- Engelhard Arzneimittel GmbH & Co. Kg, Niederdorfelden, Germany
| | | | - Georg Seifert
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Oncology and Hematology, Charité -universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Tratamento Do Câncer Infantil (Itaci), São Paulo, Brazil
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Kurotschka PK, Tiedemann E, Wolf D, Thier N, Forster J, Liese JG, Gagyor I. Management of Common Infections in German Primary Care: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Knowledge and Confidence among General Practitioners and Outpatient Pediatricians. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10091131. [PMID: 34572713 PMCID: PMC8466449 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10091131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Outpatient antibiotic use is closely related to antimicrobial resistance and in Germany, almost 70% of antibiotic prescriptions in human health are issued by primary care physicians (PCPs). The aim of this study was to explore PCPs, namely General Practitioners' (GPs) and outpatient pediatricians' (PDs) knowledge of guideline recommendations on rational antimicrobial treatment, the determinants of confidence in treatment decisions and the perceived need for training in this topic in a large sample of PCPs from southern Germany. Out of 3753 reachable PCPs, 1311 completed the survey (overall response rate = 34.9%). Knowledge of guideline recommendations and perceived confidence in making treatment decisions were high in both GPs and PDs. The two highest rated influencing factors on prescribing decisions were reported to be guideline recommendations and own clinical experiences, hence patients' demands and expectations were judged as not influencing treatment decisions. The majority of physicians declared to have attended at least one specific training course on antibiotic use, yet almost all the participating PCPs declared to need more training on this topic. More studies are needed to explore how consultation-related and context-specific factors could influence antibiotic prescriptions in general and pediatric primary care in Germany beyond knowledge. Moreover, efforts should be undertaken to explore the training needs of PCPs in Germany, as this would serve the development of evidence-based educational interventions targeted to the improvement of antibiotic prescribing decisions rather than being focused solely on knowledge of guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Konstantin Kurotschka
- Department of General Practice, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; (E.T.); (D.W.); (N.T.); (I.G.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Elena Tiedemann
- Department of General Practice, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; (E.T.); (D.W.); (N.T.); (I.G.)
| | - Dominik Wolf
- Department of General Practice, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; (E.T.); (D.W.); (N.T.); (I.G.)
| | - Nicola Thier
- Department of General Practice, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; (E.T.); (D.W.); (N.T.); (I.G.)
| | - Johannes Forster
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany;
| | - Johannes G. Liese
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany;
| | - Ildiko Gagyor
- Department of General Practice, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; (E.T.); (D.W.); (N.T.); (I.G.)
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