Gender inequalities in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Despite significant progress in cardiovascular disease (CVD) management, it remains a public health priority and a global challenge. Within the disease process, health care after a cardiovascular event (secondary prevention) is essential to prevent recurrences. Nonetheless, evidence has suggested the existence of gender disparities in CVD management, leaving women in a vulnerable situation. The objective of this study is to identify all available evidence on the existence of gender differences in health care attention after a major adverse cardiovascular event. METHODS: A scoping review following the structure of PRISMA-ScR was conducted. To define the inclusion criteria, we used Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) population, concept, context framework for scoping reviews. A systematic search was performed in MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE and Cochrane. The methods of this review are registered in the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (INPLASY) (INPLASY202350084). RESULTS: The initial search retrieved 3,322 studies. 26 articles were identified manually. After the reviewing process, 93 articles were finally included. The main intervention studied was the pharmacological treatment received (n = 61, 66%), distantly followed by guideline-recommended care (n = 26, 28%) and cardiac rehabilitation (CR) referral (n = 16)". Literature described gender differences in care and management of secondary prevention of CVD. Women were less frequently treated with guideline-recommended medications and seem more likely to be non-adherent. When analysing guideline recommendations, women were more likely to make dietary changes, however, men were more likely to increase physical activity. Studies also showed that women had lower rates of risk factor testing and cholesterol goals attainment. Female sex was associated with lower rates of cardiac rehabilitation referral and participation. CONCLUSIONS: This review allowed us to compile knowledge on the existence of gender inequalities on the secondary prevention of CVD. Additional research is required to delve into various factors influencing therapeutic disparities, referral and non-participation in CR programs, among other aspects, in order to improve existing knowledge about the management and treatment of CVD in men and women. This approach is crucial to ensure the most equitable and effective attention to this issue.

[Perceptions of patients and health professionals about the quality of care provided to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients]. / Percepciones de pacientes y profesionales sobre la calidad de la atención a personas con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the understanding and knowledge of patients and health professionals about factors that influence the quality of care provided in Primary Care to people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). DESIGN: Qualitative study performed between February and March 2010. LOCATION: Primary Care Centers. PARTICIPANTS: Medical and nursing professionals and patients with COPD. METHODS: Non-probabilistic intentional sampling with representation criterion of the discourse. Two group (focus group) and 6 individual interviews were performed. The interviews were recorded, literally transcribed and interpreted by social discourse analysis. RESULTS: Patients neither identify properly the symptomatology nor they assume the COPD importance until advanced states. The lacks of knowledge about the evolution of the disease and the impact on quality of life hinders the necessary changes. Professionals reports problems with performing spirometry. Among doctors, scepticism regarding to the effectiveness of the interventions aimed at change of behaviour is identified. The existence of Clinical Guides, the improvement of the coordination between professionals and the alignment of priorities between managers and professionals stand out as organizational factors. CONCLUSIONS: The identified factors suggest the possibility of improving the health care through improved communication to motivate them to take the recommended changes and to increase the adherence to treatments. To this effect, the awareness and training of professionals, the healthcare coordination, the implementation of Clinical Guides and the use of indicators in a process of quality assessment.

Prevalence of concomitant medications in older HIV+ patients and comparison with general population.

OBJECTIVE: The increasing population of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected elderly patients results in a higher number of comorbidities and greater incidence of polypharmacy in addition to antiretroviral therapy (ART). The aim of this study is to describe the use of concomitant medication in older HIV-infected patients and to compare it with older general population. METHODS: The study included HIV-positive outpatients (>49 years) who received ART in 2011. Co-medication dispensed by pharmacies in that year was collected. Defined daily dose (DDD) for each drug was calculated by patient. A comparison was made between the use of co-medication among men between 50 and 64 years old in general population against the HIV-infected population. RESULTS: The study was based on 118 patients (77% men), of which 82% took at least one co-medication and 58% at least five. The commonest co-medications used by HIV-positive patients were antibiotics (44%); analgesics (44%); anti-inflammatories (39%); antacids (38%); and psycholeptics (38%). The medicines used for the greatest number of days per HIV-positive patient were those related to the renin-angiotensin system; anti-diabetics; lipid modifying agents; antithrombotics; and calcium channel blockers. In comparison with the general male population, a higher proportion of HIV-infected patients used antibiotics (42 vs 30%, P = 0.018), antiepileptics (16 vs 5%, P = 0.000), psycholeptics (35 vs 17%, P = 0.000) and COPD medications (14 vs 7%, P = 0.008). The duration of antibiotics and psycholeptic use in HIV-infected patients was longer compared to the general population (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Older HIV-positive patients frequently take a higher number of co-medication, which increases the risk of adverse events, interactions with other medication, and may lead to poorer treatment adherence.

The quality of outpatient antimicrobial prescribing: a comparison between two areas of northern and southern Europe.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to analyse and compare the quality of outpatient antimicrobial prescribing in Denmark and Aragón (in northeastern Spain), with the objective of assessing inappropriate prescribing. METHODS: Outpatient antimicrobial prescription data were obtained from the National Institute for Health Data and Disease Control in Denmark, and from the Aragón Information System of Drug Consumption. The number of Defined Daily Doses (DDD) of the different substances were calculated, and the quality of the antimicrobial prescription was analysed using the 'Drug Utilization 90 %' method and the European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption (ESAC) quality indicators for outpatient antimicrobial use. RESULTS: The majority of the prescriptions (90 % of total DDD) were comprised of 14 (of 39) different antimicrobials in Denmark, based mainly on narrow spectrum penicillin, and 11 (of 59) antimicrobials in Aragón, principally broad spectrum penicillins. The quality indicators described an elevated consumption of antimicrobials and an important seasonal variation in Aragón. In Denmark, the values obtained reflected a more moderate use with minor seasonal variation. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed important differences between the two study areas in relation to quantity and quality of outpatient antimicrobial prescription. The data indicate an overuse (and/or misuse) of antimicrobials in the Spanish region, despite national and local guidelines. The pattern of prescription in Denmark reflects a better adherence to recommendations.

Differences in outpatient antibiotic use between a Spanish region and a Nordic country.

INTRODUCTION: Antibiotic use and misuse are linked to pathogen resistance and, as such, both constitute a public health issue with local, national, and global dimensions. Early studies have shown striking variations in the use of these drugs between Nordic and Mediterranean countries. The aim of the present study was to describe and compare antibiotic prescribing in Primary Care in Denmark and Aragón (a North-eastern Spanish region). METHODS: Outpatient antibiotic prescription data (2010) were obtained from the National Institute for Health Data and Disease Control (Denmark), and the Information System on Medication Consumption in Aragón. The consumption of antibiotics (ATC J01) was analyzed from the prescription rates and the number of defined daily dose (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants/day (DID). RESULTS: The rate of antibiotic prescription in 2010 in Aragón was greater than in Denmark (407 compared to 315 exposed individuals/1000 inhabitants). There were significant differences as regards overall consumption of antibiotics (23.2 DID in Aragón and 17.0 DID in Denmark), as well as the therapeutic group selection. There was an elevated use of broad spectrum penicillins, quinolones and cephalosporins in the Spanish region while, in Denmark, the most-consumed antibiotic was narrow spectrum penicillin. CONCLUSION: The use of antibiotics in the Spanish region is very high, and there are marked differences in the choice of drug between this region and Denmark. Interventions are needed that promote the rational use of these drugs to reduce potential bacterial resistance, and to avoid unnecessary risks to patients.

[Medical students and drug marketing]. / Estudiantes de medicina y marketing farmacéutico.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the exposure of medical students to the marketing activities of the pharmaceutical industry, and identify their opinions and attitudes, and also the possible effects this exposure on their training and future professional practice. DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional. SETTING: University of Zaragoza Faculty of Medicine. PARTICIPANTS: Third, fourth, fifth and sixth year medical students. METHODS: The information was obtained using a previously adapted, self-report questionnaire on the exposure, attitudes and perceived suitability of drug marketing activities. Percentages were calculated for the categorical variables, applying the chi squared test for the comparison between the groups. A logistic regression was performed to determine the factors associated with their attitudes towards these activities. RESULTS: A total of 369 questionnaires were returned (93% of those attending classes). The exposure to marketing activities is high, particularly in the clinical stage (78.6% said to have received a gift non-educational gift). The students recognised the possible biases and repercussions in professional practice, although with ambiguity and contradictions. The most accepted activities are those associated with training, and the most critical attitudes appear in the clinical stage, particularly in the sixth year. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to drug marketing by medical students and its possible training and professional effects is frequent and significant. The training environment is particularly open to promotional activities. The differences observed in the later years suggest the need for a specific curriculum subject and development of reflective attitudes by the students themselves.

[Medicine consumption in the adult population: Influence of self-medication]. / Consumo de medicamentos en población adulta: influencia del autoconsumo.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to determine the factors associated with medicine consumption and self-consumption in Aragón (Spain) DESIGN: Cross-sectional study from the National Health Survey 2006. SETTING: Aragón (Spain). PARTICIPANTS: Adult population in Aragón (Spain). MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Medicine consumption and the type of consumption. Demographic, health and health style variables were also considered. RESULTS: At least one drug was taken by the 65.1% of the adults in Aragón during the previous two weeks. Of this group, 11.7% were self-medicated. A higher frequency of consumption was observed in females and older people, and in those with a poor self-perceived health. People with a low educational level took drugs more often, but self-consumption was more frequent in the group with a high educational level. CONCLUSIONS: Medicine consumption and self-consumption in adults in Aragón is common. It is of great interest to know the consumption profile of these patients in order to develop specific interventions to reduce unnecessary consumption and to improve safety.

Influence of cardiovascular risk factors and treatment exposure on cardiovascular event incidence: Assessment using machine learning algorithms.

Assessment of the influence of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) on cardiovascular event (CVE) using machine learning algorithms offers some advantages over preexisting scoring systems, and better enables personalized medicine approaches to cardiovascular prevention. Using data from four different sources, we evaluated the outcomes of three machine learning algorithms for CVE prediction using different combinations of predictive variables and analysed the influence of different CVRF-related variables on CVE prediction when included in these algorithms. A cohort study based on a male cohort of workers applying populational data was conducted. The population of the study consisted of 3746 males. For descriptive analyses, mean and standard deviation were used for quantitative variables, and percentages for categorical ones. Machine learning algorithms used were XGBoost, Random Forest and Naïve Bayes (NB). They were applied to two groups of variables: i) age, physical status, Hypercholesterolemia (HC), Hypertension, and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and ii) these variables plus treatment exposure, based on the adherence to the treatment for DM, hypertension and HC. All methods point out to the age as the most influential variable in the incidence of a CVE. When considering treatment exposure, it was more influential than any other CVRF, which changed its influence depending on the model and algorithm applied. According to the performance of the algorithms, the most accurate was Random Forest when treatment exposure was considered (F1 score 0.84), followed by XGBoost. Adherence to treatment showed to be an important variable in the risk of having a CVE. These algorithms could be applied to create models for every population, and they can be used in primary care to manage interventions personalized for every subject.

Evolution of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Worker Cohort: A Cluster Analysis.

The identification of the cardiovascular risk factor (CVRF) profile of individual patients is key to the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and the development of personalized preventive approaches. Using data from annual medical examinations in a cohort of workers, the aim of the study was to characterize the evolution of CVRFs and the CVD risk score (SCORE) over three time points between 2009 and 2017. For descriptive analyses, mean, standard deviation, and quartile values were used for quantitative variables, and percentages for categorical ones. Cluster analysis was performed using the Kml3D package in R software. This algorithm, which creates distinct groups based on similarities in the evolution of variables of interest measured at different time points, divided the cohort into 2 clusters. Cluster 1 comprised younger workers with lower mean body mass index, waist circumference, blood glucose values, and SCORE, and higher mean HDL cholesterol values. Cluster 2 had the opposite characteristics. In conclusion, it was found that, over time, subjects in cluster 1 showed a higher improvement in CVRF control and a lower increase in their SCORE, compared with cluster 2. The identification of subjects included in these profiles could facilitate the development of better personalized medical approaches to CVD preventive measures.

[Tumour necrosis factor alpha antagonists in established rheumatoid arthritis: effectiveness comparative study]. / Estudio comparativo de efectividad de los inhibidores del factor de necrosis tumoral alfa en la artritis reumatoide establecida.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Knowing the differences in the effectiveness between three tumour necrosis factor alpha antagonists (anti-TNF alpha) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has important clinical implications. The aim of this study was to assess anti-TNF alpha effectiveness and to study possible differences in outcomes between them. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We included all patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) attended in consulting room from Zaragoza Area II between May 2000 and December 2006 who completed a year with anti-TNF alpha treatment. Several demographic and clinical parameters at the beginning and after a year with three different agents were analysed and compared. RESULTS: 119 patients completed a year with anti-TNF alpha, 28 with infliximab, 44 with etanercept and 37 with adalimumab. After a year with treatment, DAS 28 descended 1,82 (1,42) points and HAQ 0,3 (0,58) (p<0,05). Comparing the clinical parameters after a year DAS 28 was 3,8 in the three groups. HAQ was 1,2 for patients in treatment with infliximab and 0,9 for patients with etanercept and adalimumab. There were no significant differences in effectiveness between the 3 drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-TNF alpha drugs are effective to treat RA and the effectiveness is similar in all them.

[Relationship between allogeneic blood transfusion, iron deficiency and nosocomial infection in patients with hip fracture]. / Relación de la transfusión y la ferropenia con la infección nosocomial en pacientes con fractura de cadera.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To know the frequency of nosocomial infection (NI) in surgical hip fracture patients and to analyze the risk factors that favor the NI development, especially its relationship with allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT) and intravenous iron administration. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Unicenter prospective observational study of all hip fracture surgery patients during 8 months. The demographic, clinical and hematimetric differences between the infected and not infected patients were described. A logistic regression analysis was made to know the variables that predicted NI development. RESULTS: 26.1% of all 286 patients studied developed NI, urinary infection being the most frequent. The existence of lower hemoglobin or ferritin levels at admission, as well as increased values in ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) scale were associated with a greater risk of NI development. ABT and the number of red blood cell units transfused were also associated with an increase of the NI risk. No relationship between intravenous iron administration and NI was found. CONCLUSIONS: Lower haemoglobin and ferritin levels and ABT are associated with an increasing NI risk in surgical hip fracture patients. Thus, in order to decrease the frequency of NI in surgical patients, the development of blood saving protocols including intravenous iron administration would be recommendable.

[Budget impact analysis of a blood saving program for urgent traumatological surgery]. / Análisis del impacto presupuestario de la implantación de medidas de ahorro de sangre en cirugía de urgencia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To assess the cost-effectiveness and the budget impact of a Blood Saving Program (BSP) in patients older than 65 undergoing perthrocanteric hip fracture surgery. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Two groups of patients with perthrocanteric fracture were included. Group 1: patients not receiving treatment for perisurgical anaemia or treated with oral iron; Group 2: patients included in a BSP (treatment with endovenous iron sucrose and alfa epoetin, plus restrictive transfusional criteria). Effectiveness issues were: transfusion rate and number of red blood cell units transfused, length of postoperative stay and infection rate. Treatment cost was calculated using drug and transfused red blood cell unit prizes in 2003. We calculated potential patient population according to 2003 data. RESULTS: 144 patients were included, 43 of which were in the BSP. Both groups were comparable in gender, age, preoperative length of stay, ASA and haemoglobin level at admission. Patients included in the BSP were less transfused and had less infections but postoperative stay was similar in both groups. The budget impact was 239,148 euros 95% [confidence interval (CI) 202,312-311,980] at group 1 and 311,980 euros [95% CI 275,288-348,672] at the BSP group. Including the whole potential population in the BSP (during one year 400 patients) would mean a cost increase of 72,832 euros, avoiding transfusion in 92 patients, infection in 70 patients, and saving 328 red blood cell units. CONCLUSIONS: The cost increase due to endovenous iron sucrose and alfa-epoetin can be considered affordable for the hospital budget. BSP provides lower transfusion and infection rates and saves red blood cell units, compared to the standard procedure. Differences in postoperative stay should be analyzed in further larger and prospective studies including more patients.

[Drugs use in pregnancy in the Valencia Region and the risk of congenital anomalies]. / Consumo de medicamentos en el embarazo y riesgo de anomalías congénitas en la Comunitat Valenciana.

BACKGROUND: Despite the potential risks of drug use during pregnancy, consumption has increased in recent decades. OBJECTIVE: To identify the risk of congenital anomalies (CA) associated with the use of drugs in primary care in pregnant women residents in the Valencia Region. METHODS: A case-control study, considering a case as a less than one year old live birth in 2009-2010, diagnosed with a CA and resident in the Valencia Region, obtained from the CA population-based registry. Controls were selected from the Metabolic Disease Registry, and the drugs prescribed and dispensed from the Integral Management of Pharmaceutical Services. Crude odds ratio (OR) was calculated with its 95% confidence intervals and adjusted OR was calculated using logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 1,913 cases and 3,826 controls were identified. The most frequently used drug groups were those acting on the musculoskeletal, nervous and respiratory systems, on the blood and blood forming organs, and anti-infection drugs. The most common drugs used were ibuprofen, dexketoprofen, paracetamol, amoxicillin, ferrous sulphate, and a combination of folic acid. A significantly increased risk of CA was identified for drugs acting on the musculoskeletal system (adjusted OR 1.14 [95% confidence interval 1.02-1.28]). A significantly decreased risk was observed for drugs acting on the blood and blood forming organs (adjusted OR 0.87 [95% confidence interval 0.78-0.98]). CONCLUSIONS: Associations between drugs and CA in pregnant women resident in the Valencia Region have been identified for drugs that act as risk factors of CA, and for drugs that act as protective factors of CA.

[The validity of the Spanish Minimum Basic Data Set to identify congenital anomalies in the Valencian Community (Spain)]. / La validez del Conjunto Mínimo Básico de Datos como fuente de identificación de las anomalías congénitas en la Comunitat Valenciana.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the validity of the Spanish Minimum Basic Data Set (MBDS) for identifying major congenital anomalies in the Valencian Community. METHODS: A retrospective epidemiological study was carried out. Children under the age of one year, born in 2007 and residing in the Valencian Community with congenital anomalies code 740-759 CIE9-MC, were selected from the MBDS, in addition to a random sample of children under the age of 1 year without these discharge codes. Having reviewed the clinical documentation, the cases were classified as true positives and negatives and false positives and negatives. Positive and negative predictive value and sensitivity were calculated. The kappa test was applied to analyse diagnostic consistency between the MBDS and the clinical documentation. RESULTS: A total of 2305 discharges of 1651 patients were identified. 4 out of the 5434 patients sampled had a major congenital abnormality. The positive predictive value was 56.4% (95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 53.9-58.8) and the negative predictive value was 99.3% (95%CI: 98.6-100.0). MBDS sensitivity was 68.6% (95%CI: 66.1-71.1). The most common codes in the true positives were: 745.5 (atrial septal defect), 745.4 (ventricular septal defect) and 747.0 (patent ductus arteriosus) and in the false positives: 747.0, 745.5 and 752.51 (cryptorchidism). 25.5% of diagnoses with congenital anomaly from the MBDS were not in the clinical documentation. Considering all diagnoses coded in the MBDS, the correlation was 0.70 (95%CI: 0.68-0.72) CONCLUSIONS: The MBDS is the main source of information to detect cases in the registry of congenital anomalies of the Valencian Community. Its main limitation is the high number of false positive cases detected.

Polypharmacy in older adults with human immunodeficiency virus infection compared with the general population.

BACKGROUND: The percentage of older HIV-positive patients is growing, with an increase in age-related comorbidities and concomitant medication. OBJECTIVES: To quantify polypharmacy and profile types of non-antiretroviral drugs collected at community pharmacies in 2014 by HIV-positive individuals on antiretroviral therapy and to compare these findings with those of the general population. METHODS: HIV-positive patients (n=199) were compared with a group of patients from the general population (n=8,172), aged between 50 and 64 years. The factors compared were prevalence of polypharmacy (≥5 comedications with cumulative defined daily dose [DDD] per drug over 180), percentage of patients who collected each therapeutic class of drug, and median duration for each drug class (based on DDD). Results were stratified by sex. RESULTS: Polypharmacy was more common in HIV-positive males than in the male general population (8.9% vs 4.4%, P=0.010). Polypharmacy was also higher in HIV-positive females than in the female general population (11.3% vs 3.4%, P=0.002). Percentage of HIV-positive patients receiving analgesics, anti-infectives, gastrointestinal drugs, central nervous system (CNS) agents, and respiratory drugs was higher than in the general population, with significant differences between male populations. No differences were observed in proportion of patients receiving cardiovascular drugs. The estimated number of treatment days (median DDDs) were higher in HIV-positive males than in males from the general population for anti-infectives (32.2 vs 20.0, P<0.001) and CNS agents (238.7 vs 120.0, P=0.002). A higher percentage of HIV-positive males than males from the general population received sulfonamides (17.1% vs 1.5%, P<0.001), macrolides (37.1% vs 24.9%, P=0.020), and quinolones (34.3% vs 21.2%, P=0.009). CONCLUSION: Polypharmacy is more common in HIV-positive older males and females than in similarly aged members of the general population. HIV-positive patients received more CNS drugs and anti-infectives, specifically sulfonamides, macrolides, and quinolones, but there were no differences in the percentage of patients receiving cardiovascular drugs. It is essential to investigate nonantiretroviral therapy medication use in the HIV-positive population to ensure these patients receive appropriate management.

Clinical characteristics and antiretroviral treatment of older HIV-infected patients.

BACKGROUND: The number of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients aged 50 years or over is growing year on year, due to both late diagnoses and the chronicity of the illness. This increase is a new phenomenon. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the older HIV infected population and determine if there are differences in antiretroviral treatment between younger and older patients. SETTING: This study was conducted in the outpatient hospital pharmacy service of a University Hospital in Spain. METHOD: A descriptive study involving HIV infected patients aged 50 years or older who received ambulatory antiretroviral therapy between January and December 2011. Variables related to HIV and to antiretroviral therapy were collected. A comparison of antiretroviral drugs used was made with the populations older and younger than 50 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Antiretroviral therapy differences between older and younger HIV-patients. RESULTS: 130 patients (20% of the antiretroviral treated patients) were 50 or over and 77% of these was aged between 50 and 59. At the time of diagnosis, 50% suffered an advanced state of disease. At the end of the study period, 58% had CD4 lymphocyte levels of over 500 cells/mm(3) and 90% had an undetectable viral load. The antiretroviral therapy of the older group that was based on protease inhibitors was used in the 51.5% of the patients compared with 54.4% in the younger group. The figures for nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors based therapy were 43.8 and 39.8%, respectively. The older population used treatments that included tenofovir (56.9 vs. 64.8%, p = 0.105) less frequently and used more treatments that included abacavir (26.9 vs. 19.1%, p = 0.054) than the under 50's. CONCLUSION: Half the older HIV-infected patients were diagnosed with an advanced disease and the majority showed a positive response to antiretroviral therapy. There are no statistically significant differences between the frequency of antiretroviral therapy use in older and younger HIV-patients, although older HIV-patients has less often used treatments with tenofovir and more often used treatments with abacavir.

[Routine drug utilization in perimenopausal women living in Jaca]. / Utilización habitual de medicamentos en mujeres perimenopáusicas residentes en Jaca.

OBJECTIVE: To describe routine drug utilization in perimenopausal women and to analyze related factors. METHODS: We performed an observational study though face-to-face interviews with women aged 45-64 years old living in the health district of Jaca (Spain). RESULTS: Among the women studied, 69.4% routinely used drugs: 58.6% of women aged 45-54 years old and 81.6% aged 55-64 (p=0.002). Factors associated with a greater probability of drug use were postmenopausal status (p=0.011), reported chronic diseases (p<0.001), poor or very poor self-perceived health (p=0.009), and having consulted a general physician at least once in the previous year (p=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Routine drug utilization was frequent in the women studied. Drug utilization was associated with postmenopausal status, perceived health problems, and visits to general physicians.

[Identification of pharmacy cost outliers in primary care]. / Identificación de pacientes hiperconsumidores de farmacia en atención primaria.

OBJECTIVE: To identify pharmacy cost outlier patients in Primary Care, describing epidemiological differences between normal users and outliers; and to study the explanatory power of risk adjustment tools based on Adjusted Clinical Groups (ACG) as regards the variability of pharmacy expenditure for both groups of patients. DESIGN: Observational, retrospective study. SETTING: 23 health centres located in the regions of Aragon, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. PARTICIPANTS: The study sample consisted of 286,450 patients who were seen at least once in 2005. MEASUREMENTS: Variables related to demographic features, pharmacy cost, and case-mix (ACG 7.1) were collected. Pharmacy cost outliers were selected according to the inter-quartile range method. A linear regression model was developed to measure the explanatory power of ACG. This same model was applied stratifying the population by variables of the physician, the health centre and the region. RESULTS: One out of ten patients was classified as an outlier. This group was responsible for 60% of the total pharmacy expenditure. These outlier patients were 26.3 years older than normal users and had a higher comorbidity. The explanatory power of the ACG classification system was markedly lower -3% vs. 26.4% for normal users-. CONCLUSIONS: Further research should be done on factors causing a lack of adequacy of ACG among pharmacy outlier patients. Although it could be thought that social circumstances might play a role in the clinical state of patients, it is more likely that the applied trimming method does not allow outliers with justifiable clinical reasons for higher costs to be distinguished from those without them.