Socioeconomic Variations in Use of Prescription Medicines for COPD: A Register-Based Study.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to examine socioeconomic variations in the use of prescription medicines among elderly subjects with COPD.


METHODS
Data from the Danish national administrative registers were used. The study population included 1,365 individuals >60 y old residing in the Municipality of Copenhagen and diagnosed with COPD in a hospital setting in 2007. Logistic regression analysis was applied to examine the associations between the use of all prescription medicines for obstructive pulmonary diseases and the use of long-acting bronchodilators, in subject groups of different socioeconomic position.


RESULTS
The study demonstrated that approximately 90% of subjects with COPD purchased at least one prescription medicine for obstructive pulmonary diseases, whereas approximately 50% purchased a long-acting bronchodilator. Medicine use did not vary according to educational status or personal wealth.


CONCLUSIONS
There were no systematic socioeconomic differences in the use of relevant prescription medicines in elderly subjects diagnosed with COPD in hospital settings in Copenhagen. However, our findings indicate a gap between guideline recommendations and observed use of long-acting bronchodilators and hence suboptimal quality of treatment in the elderly COPD population.
['Jacobsen|Ramune|R|', 'Ekholm|Ola|O|', 'Rasmussen|Niels K|NK|', 'Hansen|Ebba Holme|EH|', 'Frølich|Anne|A|']
D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D001993:Bronchodilator Agents D003718:Denmark D011307:Drug Prescriptions D005260:Female D006801:Humans D016015:Logistic Models D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive D012042:Registries D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
medicine COPD elderly bronchodilators Denmark registries socioeconomic factors