[Off-label drug prescriptions among outpatient children and adolescents in Germany--a database analysis]

Off-label drug prescriptions in French general practice: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

Off-label drug prescribing is a public health and economic issue. The aim of this study was to describe off-label prescription in general practice in France, in terms of frequency and nature, and to identify its main determining factors.

DESIGN

Multicentre cross-sectional study SETTING: Twenty-three training general practice offices PARTICIPANTS: All the voluntary patients coming for a medical consultation or visited at home over a cumulative period of 5 days per office between November 2015 and January 2016.

METHODS

Eleven interns, acting as observers, collected data. Two reviewers analysed the drugs prescribed by the trainers, in order to identify those prescribed off-label in terms of their indication or the age of the patient. We used a univariate, then a multivariate model, based on hierarchical mixed-effects logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among the 4932 drug prescriptions registered, 911 (18.5%[95% CI17.4% to 19.6%]) were off-label, of which 865 (17.6%) due to the indication of the drug and 58 (1.2%) due to the age of the patient. The prescription never mentioned the off-label use, neither was the patient informed of it, as required by the French law. With the multivariate analysis, variables contributing to off-label prescription were the number of drugs (OR=1.05 for each additional drug), the initiation of new drug therapy (OR=1.26) and the non-specific goal of the prescription (OR=1.43); the age of the patient ≤14 years (OR=1.42); the rural location of the physician's practice (OR=1.38) and the low frequency of the visits of national health insurance representatives (OR=0.93).

CONCLUSION

Almost one out of five drugs prescribed in French general practice was off-label. It seems necessary to better train physicians in clinical pharmacology, to provide them with more effective drug prescription software, to reinforce postmarketing surveillance and to clearly define off-label use by consensus.

Do patients with lactose intolerance exhibit more frequent comorbidities than patients without lactose intolerance? An analysis of routine data from German medical practices

Background

The increase in food intolerances poses a burgeoning problem in our society. Food intolerances not only lead to physical impairment of the individual patient but also result in a high socio-economic burden due to factors such as the treatment required as well as absenteeism. The present study aimed to explore whether lactose intolerant (LI) patients exhibit more frequent comorbidities than non-LI patients.

Methods

The study was conducted on a case-control basis and the results were determined using routine data analysis. Routine data from the IMS Disease Analyzer database were used for this purpose. A total of 6,758 data records were processed and analyzed.

Results

There were significant correlations between LI and the incidence of osteoporosis, changes in mental status, and the presence of additional food intolerances. Comparing 3,379 LI vs. 3,379 non-LI patients, 34.5% vs. 17.7% (P<0.0001) suffered from abdominal pain; 30.6% vs. 17.2% (P<0.0001) from gastrointestinal infections; and 20.9% vs. 16.0% (P=0.0053) from depression. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) were the highest for fructose intolerance (n=229 LI vs. n=7 non-LI; OR 31.06; P<0.0001), irritable bowel syndrome (n=247 LI vs. n=44 non-LI; OR 5.23; P<0.0001), and bloating (n=351 LI vs. n=68 non-LI; OR 4.94; P<0.0001).

Conclusion

The study confirms that LI should not be regarded as an isolated illness but considered a possible trigger for further diseases. Additional research is necessary to assert more precise statements.