Prescribing costs of hypoglycaemic agents and associations with metabolic control in Wales; a national analysis of primary care data.

AIMS: There has been a dramatic increase in hypoglycaemic agent expenditure. We assessed the variability in prescribing costs at the practice level and the relationship between expenditure and the proportion of patients achieving target glycaemic control. METHODS: We utilized national prescribing data from 406 general practices in Wales. This was compared against glycaemic control (percentage of patients achieving a HbA1c level < 59 mmol/mol in the preceding 12 months). Analyses were adjusted for the number of patients with diabetes in each general practice and the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation. RESULTS: There was considerable heterogeneity in hypoglycaemic agent spend per patient with diabetes, Median = £289 (IQR 247-343) range £31.1-£1713. Higher total expenditure was not associated with improved glycaemic control B(std)  = -0.01 (95%CI -0.01, 0.002) p = 0.13. High-spend practices spent more on SGLT2 inhibitors (16 vs. 9% p < 0.001) and GLP-1 agonists (13 vs. 11% p < 0.001) and less on insulin (34 vs. 42% p < 0.001), biguanides (9 vs. 11% p = 0.001) and sulphonylureas (2 vs. 3% p < 0.001) than low spend practices. There were no differences in the pattern of drug prescribing between high spend practices with better glycaemic control (mean 68% of patients HbA1c <59 mmol/mol) and those with less good metabolic control (mean 58% of patients HbA1c <59 mmol/mol). CONCLUSIONS: Spend on hypoglycaemic agents is highly variable between practices and increased expenditure per patient is not associated with better glycaemic control. Whilst newer, more expensive agents have additional benefits, in individuals where these advantages are more marginal widespread use of these agents has important cost implications.

Changes in suspected adverse drug reaction reporting via the yellow card scheme in Wales following the introduction of a National Reporting Indicator.

AIMS: This study aimed to assess the impact of a National Reporting Indicator (NRI) on rates of reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions using the Yellow Card scheme following the introduction of the NRI in Wales (UK) in April 2014. METHODS: Yellow Card reporting data for general practitioners and other reporting groups in Wales and England for the financial years 2014-15 (study period 1) and 2015-16 (study period 2) were obtained from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and compared with those for 2013-14 (pre-NRI control period). RESULTS: The numbers of Yellow Cards submitted by general practitioners in Wales were 271, 665 and 870 in the control period, study period 1 and study period 2, respectively. This is equivalent to an increase of 145% in study period 1 and 221% in study period 2 compared with the 12-month control period (2013-14). Corresponding increases in England were 17% and 37%, respectively (P < .001 chi-squared test). The numbers of Yellow Cards submitted by other groups in Wales were 906, 795 and 947 in each of the study periods. CONCLUSIONS: Introduction of the NRI corresponded with a significant increase in the number of Yellow Cards submitted by general practitioners in Wales. General practitioner reporting rates continued to increase year on year through to 2018-19 with the NRI still in place. No concomitant change was found in reporting rates by other groups in the health boards in Wales.

Prescribing by level of deprivation in Wales: an investigation of selected medicine groups.

BACKGROUND: Prescribing is the most common intervention made by healthcare professionals. Our study aimed to compare prescribing between general practitioner (GP) practices with the highest and lowest levels of deprivation. METHODS: The deprivation level of each GP practice was determined using data from the income domain of the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation and individual patient postcodes. We compared prescribing data between the highest and lowest deprivation quintiles for selected groups of medicines. The prescribing measures used were selected as the most appropriate to the specific medicine group being considered. Data were analysed across the period of April 2018-March 2023. RESULTS: For the medicine groups of statins, hypnotics and anxiolytics, and antidepressants, there was a statistically significantly higher level of prescribing in the highest deprivation quintile. For anticoagulants, there was no significant difference in prescribing between the different quintiles. For hormone replacement therapy, there was a significantly higher level of prescribing in the quintile of lowest deprivation. CONCLUSION: Our study shows variation in the prescribing of different medicine groups between the highest and lowest deprivation quintiles in Wales. Further investigation into this variation is required.

Medicines prescribed by non-medical independent prescribers in primary care in Wales: a 10-year longitudinal study April 2011-March 2021.

OBJECTIVES: The therapeutic classes of medicines prescribed by non-medical independent prescribers (NMIPs) working in primary care in Wales has not been studied in detail. The aim of this study was to conduct a 10-year longitudinal analysis of NMIP prescribing in Wales from April 2011 to March 2021. The study examined the British National Formulary (BNF) chapters from which medicines were prescribed by NMIPs, whether this changed over time, and whether there was variation in prescribing across the geographic regions of Wales. DESIGN: Retrospective secondary data analysis of primary care prescribing data. Monthly prescribing data for the 10 National Health Service financial years (April to March) from April 2011 to March 2021 were obtained from the Comparative Analysis System for Prescribing Audit software. Data were analysed according to BNF chapter, to identify in which therapeutic areas NMIPs were prescribing, and whether this changed over the study period. RESULTS: The number of items prescribed by NMIPs increased during the study period. From April 2011 to March 2021 prescribing in seven BNF chapters equated to approximately 80% of total items, with cardiovascular system medicines most prescribed. In the financial year 2011-2012 the BNF chapters with the greatest proportion of items prescribed were infection (18%) and respiratory system (13%), while in 2020-2021, these had changed to cardiovascular (23%) and nervous system (19%). The number of items prescribed in each health board in Wales varied, however, the BNF chapters contributing the largest percentages of items to the health board totals were broadly comparable. CONCLUSIONS: The BNF chapter with the most prescribed items changed from infection to cardiovascular during the study period, suggesting an increase in chronic disease management by NMIPs. The impact of this on the delivery of primary care services and patient outcomes is a focus for future work.

Prescribing trends over time by non-medical independent prescribers in primary care settings across Wales (2011-2018): a secondary database analysis.

INTRODUCTION: As of 2015, as part of the implementation of the Welsh Government primary care plan and primary care clusters, the Welsh Government has encouraged non-medical healthcare professionals working in primary care to train as independent prescribers (IPs). OBJECTIVES: This research aimed to identify the number of NMIPs in primary care in Wales and describe their prescribing trend of items between 2011 and 2018, in order to compare their prescribing pattern before and after the implementation of primary care clusters for Wales. DESIGN: Retrospective secondary data analysis and interrupted time series analysis in order to compare prescribing by non-medical independent prescribers (NMIPs) preimplementation and postimplementation of primary care clusters across Wales. RESULTS: Over the study period, 600 NMIPs (nurses n=474 and pharmacists n=104) had prescribed at least one item. The number of nurse IPs increased by 108% and pharmacists by 325% (pharmacists had the largest increase between July 2015 and March 2018). The number of items prescribed by NMIPs increased over time by an average of 1380 per month (95% CI 904 to 1855, p<0.001) after the implementation of primary care clusters compared with 496 (95% CI 445 to 548, p<0.001) prior its implementation. Approximately one-third of the items prescribed by NMIPs was within Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (HB) with only 4% in Powys Teaching HB. CONCLUSION: The number of NMIPs and their volume of prescribing in primary care in Wales has increased following the implementation of primary care clusters in 2015. This suggests that the Government's recommendations of using NMIPs in primary care have been implemented. Future studies should focus on efficiency and quality of prescribing by NMIPs in primary care.