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Research

Pregabalin prescribing patterns in Australian general practice, 2012–2018: a cross-sectional study

Andrea L Schaffer, Doreen Busingye, Kendal Chidwick, Jonathan Brett and Suzanne Blogg
BJGP Open 2021; 5 (1): bjgpopen20X101120. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgpopen20X101120
Andrea L Schaffer
1 Centre for Big Data Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
2 NPS Medicinewise, Strawberry Hills, New South Wales, Australia
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  • ORCID record for Andrea L Schaffer
  • For correspondence: andrea.schaffer@unsw.edu.au
Doreen Busingye
2 NPS Medicinewise, Strawberry Hills, New South Wales, Australia
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Kendal Chidwick
2 NPS Medicinewise, Strawberry Hills, New South Wales, Australia
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Jonathan Brett
1 Centre for Big Data Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Suzanne Blogg
2 NPS Medicinewise, Strawberry Hills, New South Wales, Australia
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Article Figures & Data

Figures

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  • Figure 1.
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    Figure 1. Pregabalin prescriptions as a proportion of all prescriptions by subsidy status.

    Legend: Excludes 6411 (1.6%) pregabalin prescriptions with missing prescription subsidy status. Prior to March 2013, pregabalin was only subsidised for veterans and their dependants. PBS = Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme; RPBS = Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

  • Figure 2.
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    Figure 2. Proportion of active patients prescribed pregabalin by age group and sex, March 2012–February 2018 (n = 114 123).
  • Figure 3.
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    Figure 3. Prevalence of same-day prescribing of pregabalin and an opioid or benzodiazepine by recorded condition among patients prescribed pregabalin for whom capture of same-day prescribing was available, March 2012–February 2018 (n = 64 461).

    Legend: Conditions not mutually exclusive as patients could have multiple conditions.

Tables

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    Table 1. Characteristics of the full study cohort and people prescribed pregabalin, March 2012–February 2018
    All active patients
    (n = 1 891 623
    )
    Patients prescribed pregabalin
    (n = 114 123
    )
    n (%) n (%)Percentage of active
    patients, % (95% CI)a
    Sex
     Female1 087 939 (57.5)68 311 (59.9)6.3 (5.9 to 6.6)
     Male800 676 (42.3)45 769 (40.1)5.7 (5.4 to 6.0)
     Missing3008 (0.2)43 (0.0)1.4 (0.8 to 2.0)
    Rurality of patient residence
     Major city1 204 426 (63.7)63 456 (55.6)5.3 (4.9 to 5.6)
     Inner regional440 727 (23.3)33 852 (29.7)7.7 (7.0 to 8.3)
     Outer regional200 543 (10.6)14 706 (12.9)7.3 (6.5 to 8.2)
     Remote29 386 (1.6)1325 (1.2)4.5 (3.2 to 5.8)
     Very remote5932 (0.3)297 (0.3)5.0 (3.4 to 6.6)
     Missing10 609 (0.6)486 (0.4)4.6 (3.9 to 5.3)
    Socioeconomic status of patient residence (IRSAD quintiles)
     1 (most disadvantaged)304 870 (16.1)25 821 (22.6)8.5 (7.9 to 9.1)
     2291 603 (15.4)19 685 (17.2)6.8 (6.3 to 7.2)
     3422 368 (22.3)27 975 (24.5)6.6 (6.1 to 7.1)
     4375 468 (19.8)18 461 (16.2)4.9 (4.5 to 5.3)
     5 (least disadvantaged)480 485 (25.4)21 421 (18.8)4.5 (4.0 to 4.9)
     Missing16 829 (0.9)760 (0.7)4.5 (3.8 to 5.2)
    • aConfidence intervals adjusted for clustering.

    • IRSAD
      index of relative socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage
    • View popup
    Table 2. Pain diagnoses and conditions recorded during study period, March 2012–February 2018
    Patients with a neuropathic paina diagnosisPatients without a neuropathic paina diagnosisTotal
    n% n% n%
    Total56 772100.057 351100.0114 123100.0
    Back problemb34 40660.624 92743.559 33352.0
    Chronic painb602910.650738.811 1029.7
    Sciaticab13 65724.1––13 65712.0
    No neuropathic pain, back problem or chronic pain––30 14652.630 14626.4
    • aIncludes sciatica. bIndividuals may have multiple diagnoses.

    • View popup
    Table 3. Characteristics of people with same-day prescribing of pregabalin and an opioid or benzodiazepine among people prescribed pregabalin for whom capture of same-day prescribing was available, March 2012–February 2018 (n = 64 461)
    All active patients prescribed pregabalin, n (%)Same-day prescribing of pregabalin and an opioidSame-day prescribing of pregabalin and a benzodiazepine
    n (%)Percentage of patients prescribed
    pregabalin, % (95% CI
    )
    n (%)Percentage of patients prescribed
    pregabalin, % (95% CI
    )
    n64 461 (100.0)24 554 (100.0)38.1 (37.1 to 39.1)8435 (100.0)13.1 (13.5 to 13.7)
    Sex
    Female39 058 (60.6)14 376 (58.5)36.8 (35.8 to 37.8)5386 (63.9)13.8 (13.2 to 14.4)
    Male25 380 (39.4)10 170 (41.1)40.1 (38.9 to 41.2)3045 (36.1)12.0 (11.3 to 12.7)
    Missing23 (0.0)8 (0.0)34.8 (13.0 to 56.6)<5
    Age group, years
    18–19132 (0.2)36 (0.1)26.9 (19.9 to 33.8)8 (0.1)6.0 (2.1 to 9.9)
    20–292026 (3.1)624 (2.5)30.8 (28.4 to 33.2)190 (2.3)9.4 (7.9 to 10.9)
    30–394899 (7.6)1915 (7.8)39.1 (37.0 to 41.2)633 (7.5)12.9 (11.7 to 14.2)
    40–498760 (13.6)3548 (14.4)40.5 (39.0 to 42.0)1191 (14.1)13.6 (12.4 to 14.8)
    50–5911 834 (18.4)4709 (19.2)39.8 (38.5 to 41.1)1539 (18.2)13.0 (12.1 to 13.9)
    60–6913 912 (21.6)5309 (21.6)38.2 (36.9 to 39.4)1745 (20.7)12.5 (11.8 to 13.3)
    70–7913 548 (21.0)4935 (20.1)36.4 (35.3 to 37.6)1732 (20.5)12.8 (12.1 to 13.5)
    80–897803 (12.1)2904 (11.8)37.2 (35.8 to 38.6)1148 (13.6)14.7 (13.7 to 15.8)
    ≥901545 (2.4)574 (2.3)37.2 (34.7 to 39.6)249 (3.0)16.1 (14.2 to 18.0)
    Socioeconomic status of patient residence (IRSAD quintiles)
    1 (most disadvantaged)11 437 (17.7)4739 (19.3)41.4 (39.7, 43.2)1586 (18.8)13.9 (12.9 to 14.9)
    211 671 (18.1)4629 (18.9)39.7 (37.9, 41.4)1536 (18.2)13.2 (11.9 to 14.4)
    316 833 (26.1)6408 (26.1)38.1 (36.4, 39.7)2178 (25.8)12.9 (11.9 to 14.0)
    411 261 (17.5)4167 (17.0)37.0 (35.6, 38.4)1451 (17.2)12.9 (12.0 to 13.8)
    5 (least disadvantaged)12 851 (19.9)4443 (18.1)34.6 (32.7, 36.4)1635 (19.4)12.7 (11.6 to 13.8)
    Missing408 (0.6)168 (0.7)41.2 (35.1, 47.3)49 (0.6)12.0 (8.4 to 15.6)
    • IRSAD
      index of relative socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage

Supplementary Data

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

  • bjgpopen20X101120_Supp.pdf -

    Supplementary material is not copyedited or typeset, and is published as supplied by the author(s). The author(s) retain(s) responsibility for its accuracy.

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Pregabalin prescribing patterns in Australian general practice, 2012–2018: a cross-sectional study
Andrea L Schaffer, Doreen Busingye, Kendal Chidwick, Jonathan Brett, Suzanne Blogg
BJGP Open 2021; 5 (1): bjgpopen20X101120. DOI: 10.3399/bjgpopen20X101120

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Pregabalin prescribing patterns in Australian general practice, 2012–2018: a cross-sectional study
Andrea L Schaffer, Doreen Busingye, Kendal Chidwick, Jonathan Brett, Suzanne Blogg
BJGP Open 2021; 5 (1): bjgpopen20X101120. DOI: 10.3399/bjgpopen20X101120
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Keywords

  • general practice
  • gabapentinoids
  • pregabalin
  • neuropathic pain
  • neuralgia
  • epidemiology

More in this TOC Section

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  • Evaluating the delay prior to primary care presentation in patients with lung cancer: a cohort study
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