Comparison of paracetamol and diclofenac prescribing preferences for adults in primary care

dc.contributor.authorBayram, Dilara
dc.contributor.authorAydin, Volkan
dc.contributor.authorSanli, Abdullah
dc.contributor.authorAbanoz, Mustafa Naci
dc.contributor.authorSibic, Busra
dc.contributor.authorPala, Sedat
dc.contributor.authorAtac, Omer
dc.contributor.authorAkici, Ahmet
dc.date.accessioned2023-02-21T12:36:00Z
dc.date.available2023-02-21T12:36:00Z
dc.date.issued2021-01-01
dc.description.abstractIntroduction: The most frequently prescribed analgesic drugs in primary care centers in Turkey are diclofenac and paracetamol, respectively. In this study, we aimed to compare paracetamol-included prescriptions (PIP) and diclofenac-included prescriptions (DIP) generated for adult patients in primary care. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, PIPs (n = 280 488) and DIPs (n = 337 935) created for adults by systematic sampling among primary care physicians working in Istanbul in 2016 (n = 1431) were examined. The demographic characteristics, diagnoses, and additional drugs in PIPs and DIPs were compared. Results: Women constituted the majority in both groups (69.8\% and 67.9\%, respectively
dc.description.abstractP < 0.05), and mean age at PIP (52.6 +/- 18.8 years) was lower compared to DIP (56.3 +/- 16.1 years), (P < 0.05). In single-diagnosis prescriptions, 11 of the 15 most common diagnoses in PIP were respiratory tract infections (47.9\%)
dc.description.abstractthree pain-related diagnoses formed 4.6\% of all these prescriptions. In DIP, the number of pain-related diagnoses, mostly of musculoskeletal origin, was eight (28.5\%)
dc.description.abstractfour diagnoses (7.8\%) were upper respiratory tract infections. While hypertension was the third most common diagnosis in PIP (6.1\%), it was ranked first in DIP (8.0\%). The percentage of prescriptions with additional analgesic (14.0\% versus 18.3\%, P < 0.001), proton-pump inhibitor (13.8\% versus 18.4\%
dc.description.abstractP < 0.001), and antihypertensive (22.0\% versus 24.8\%, P < 0.001) was lower in PIP compared to DIP. However, the percentage of prescriptions with antibiotics (31.3\% versus 14.7\%, P < 0.001) was higher in PIP. Conclusion: Paracetamol appears to be preferred mostly in upper respiratory tract infections compared to the preference of diclofenac rather in painful/inflammatory musculoskeletal conditions. The presence of hypertension among the most commonly encountered diagnoses for these analgesic drugs points to challenges in establishing the diagnosing-treatment match and indicates potential irrational prescribing practice, especially for interactions.
dc.description.issueDEC 2
dc.description.volume22
dc.identifier.doi10.1017/S1463423621000797
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11443/2032
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1463423621000797
dc.identifier.wosWOS:000724546200001
dc.publisherCAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
dc.relation.ispartofPRIMARY HEALTH CARE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
dc.subjectanalgesic
dc.subjectdiclofenac
dc.subjectpain
dc.subjectparacetamol
dc.subjectprescribing
dc.subjectprimary care
dc.titleComparison of paracetamol and diclofenac prescribing preferences for adults in primary care
dc.typeArticle

Files

Collections