Prescribing patterns of medication for respiratory diseases cluster analysis of the Portuguese electronic prescription database

Autores da FMUP

• Rute Alexandra Borges De Almeida

  Autor

• José Alberto Da Silva Freitas

  Autor

Participantes de fora da FMUP

• Sousa, A.
• Amaral, R.
• Fonseca, J.AB -

Unidades de investigação

• Laboratório Associado RISE- Rede de Investigação em Saúde

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

• Medicina da Comunidade, Informação e Decisão em Saúde

• RISE-Health

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

Abstract

We aimed to describe, for the first time, the prescribing patterns among patients on persistent respiratory treatment, from the Portuguese electronic prescription and dispensing database. This was a one-year retrospective population-based analysis of prescriptions (n = 39810) for medication for respiratory diseases and exacerbations. Cluster analysis was applied based on medication and prescrib-ers’ specialty. Prescribing patterns were grouped and labelled as: possible medication for asthma and allergic rhinitis (General Practitioners-GPs and allergists to younger patients); COPD (GPs and pulmonologists to older patients); asthma or Asthma-COPD Overlap (GPs and pulmonologists); exacerbation, infection and relievers. This analysis was an important first step to understand the Portuguese reality on the treatment of respiratory diseases. © 2022 Associazione Allergologi Immunologi Italiani Territoriali e Ospedalieri-AAIITO. Published by EDRA SpA. All rights reserved.

Keywords

• Asthma; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; cluster analysis; electronic prescribing; retrospective studies