SEMINAR ANNOUNCEMENT

Lessons from early, large-scale adoption of celecoxib and rofecoxib by Australian general practitioners.

by

Dr. Stephen Kerr
National Prescribing Service, Sydney, Australia.

on

Date: Tuesday, 30 December 2003
Time: 1100 - 1200 hrs
Venue: LT 21

One of the pillars of the Australian National Medicines Policy is quality (safe, effective, appropriate & cost-effective) use of medicines. In two studies, we examined the extent to which prescription of COX-2 selective NSAIDs (C2SN) complied with QUM principles after their subsidised listing on the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). In a cohort study of general practice patients receiving their first C2SN prescription, we examined patient age, reason for prescription, pain medications prescribed in the 12 months preceding first C2SN prescription, previous gastroprotective agent prescription and coprescriptions carrying an increased risk of an adverse bleeding or renal event. In another study of hospital patients who were prescribed C2SN, we assessed utilisation patterns and patient perceptions of their antiinflammatory medications. Rapid, early adoption of C2SN by Australian prescribers seemed to be heavily influenced heavily by pharmaceutical industry promotion, and resulted in utilisation patterns that placed an enormous burden on the PBS, and also placed patients at risk of serious adverse reactions and drug interactions.

ALL ARE WELCOME