Mikkel Højlund1,2, Anton Pottegård3, Erik Johnsen4,5, Rune A Kroken4,5, Johan Reutfors6, Povl Munk-Jørgensen7,8, Christoph U Correll9,10. 1. Department of Psychiatry Aabenraa, Mental Health Services Region of Southern Denmark, Aabenraa, Denmark. 2. Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 3. Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 4. Division of Psychiatry and NORMENT, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. 5. Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. 6. Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. 7. Department of Psychiatry Odense, Mental Health Services Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 8. Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 9. Department of Psychiatry, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, New York, USA. 10. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
Abstract
AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate time trends in dosing and prevalence of antipsychotic prescriptions in Scandinavia. METHODS: We retrieved data on antipsychotic use between 2006 and 2016 from Danish, Norwegian and Swedish national prescription registers. For each antipsychotic, we calculated prevalence of use and mean doses, overall and for specific age groups (young, adults and elderly). RESULTS: Antipsychotic use in Scandinavia increased from 16.5 to 17.2 users/1000 inhabitants between 2006 and 2016 (+2.4%, annual change: 0.07 users/1000 inhabitants/year, 95% CI: 0.02-0.20, P = 0.02). In 2006, chlorprothixene and levomepromazine were the most commonly used antipsychotics. By 2016, quetiapine was the most used antipsychotic in all three countries and across all age groups, with an overall 1-year prevalence of 4.05-9.97 users/1000 inhabitants (annual change: 0.57 users/1000 inhabitants/year, 95% CI: 0.54-0.60, P < 0.001). Quetiapine showed a marked decrease in mean doses during the 11-year study period (0.46-0.28 defined daily doses (DDD)/user/day: 39.1%, -0.02 DDD/user/day/year, 95% CI: -0.020 to -0.015, P < 0.001). In 2016, the highest mean doses were seen for clozapine (0.90-1.07 DDD/user/day) and olanzapine (0.66-0.88 DDD/user/day). CONCLUSIONS: There is an increased prevalence of antipsychotic prescriptions that coincides with low and/or decreasing mean doses of the majority of commonly used antipsychotics in Scandinavia. Of all antipsychotics, this development was most pronounced for quetiapine. Reasons for and consequences of increased antipsychotic use that lasts shorter periods of time requires further study.
AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate time trends in dosing and prevalence of antipsychotic prescriptions in Scandinavia. METHODS: We retrieved data on antipsychotic use between 2006 and 2016 from Danish, Norwegian and Swedish national prescription registers. For each antipsychotic, we calculated prevalence of use and mean doses, overall and for specific age groups (young, adults and elderly). RESULTS: Antipsychotic use in Scandinavia increased from 16.5 to 17.2 users/1000 inhabitants between 2006 and 2016 (+2.4%, annual change: 0.07 users/1000 inhabitants/year, 95% CI: 0.02-0.20, P = 0.02). In 2006, chlorprothixene and levomepromazine were the most commonly used antipsychotics. By 2016, quetiapine was the most used antipsychotic in all three countries and across all age groups, with an overall 1-year prevalence of 4.05-9.97 users/1000 inhabitants (annual change: 0.57 users/1000 inhabitants/year, 95% CI: 0.54-0.60, P < 0.001). Quetiapine showed a marked decrease in mean doses during the 11-year study period (0.46-0.28 defined daily doses (DDD)/user/day: 39.1%, -0.02 DDD/user/day/year, 95% CI: -0.020 to -0.015, P < 0.001). In 2016, the highest mean doses were seen for clozapine (0.90-1.07 DDD/user/day) and olanzapine (0.66-0.88 DDD/user/day). CONCLUSIONS: There is an increased prevalence of antipsychotic prescriptions that coincides with low and/or decreasing mean doses of the majority of commonly used antipsychotics in Scandinavia. Of all antipsychotics, this development was most pronounced for quetiapine. Reasons for and consequences of increased antipsychotic use that lasts shorter periods of time requires further study.
Authors: Stefan Leucht; Andrea Cipriani; Loukia Spineli; Dimitris Mavridis; Deniz Orey; Franziska Richter; Myrto Samara; Corrado Barbui; Rolf R Engel; John R Geddes; Werner Kissling; Marko Paul Stapf; Bettina Lässig; Georgia Salanti; John M Davis Journal: Lancet Date: 2013-06-27 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: Mikkel Højlund; Anton Pottegård; Erik Johnsen; Rune A Kroken; Johan Reutfors; Povl Munk-Jørgensen; Christoph U Correll Journal: Br J Clin Pharmacol Date: 2019-05-11 Impact factor: 4.335