Anti-seizure Medication Prescription in Adult Outpatients With Epilepsy in China, 2013–2018

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the national trends in anti-seizure medication (ASM) prescription in Chinese adult outpatients with epilepsy over a 6-year period from 2013 to 2018. Prescriptions for adult outpatients with epilepsy from hospitals in six major cities were extracted from the database of the Hospital Prescription Analysis Cooperative Project. Trends in the annual prescriptions and expenditure of ASM were analyzed. Prescription patterns (monotherapy or combination therapy) were also assessed. A total of 225,767 prescriptions from 60 hospitals were eligible and extracted for analysis. The number of ASM prescriptions increased from 28,360 in 2013 to 44,110 in 2018, and the corresponding cost increased from 9,452,990 Chinese Yuan (CNY) in 2013 to 14,627,865 CNY in 2018. The share of newer ASM use increased continuously, accounting for 56.75% of prescriptions and 85.03% of expenditure in 2018. The most frequently prescribed ASMs were sodium valproate and levetiracetam. The proportion of sodium valproate use decreased, while the proportion of levetiracetam use increased dramatically in terms of both ASM prescriptions and expenditure. Monotherapy was more frequent than combination therapy. The three most common combination therapies were sodium valproate/lamotrigine, levetiracetam/oxcarbazepine, and sodium valproate/levetiracetam. In summary, ASM use increased rapidly in terms of the number of ASM prescriptions and cost during the 6-year period, which raises concern regarding the rational use and pharma-economic profiles of ASMs. In place of valproate, levetiracetam became the most frequently used ASM. The development of ASM prescription is in line with therapy guidelines and reflects the current state of research in China.

Utilization of Drugs for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Among Young Patients in China, 2010–2019

“…Data were collated using the Hospital Prescription Analysis Cooperative Project database, which has been previously validated and extensively used for epidemiological studies in China (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12). The database contains participating hospitals' prescription information for 40 random days per year.…”

The impacts of the “4+7” pilot policy on the volume, expenditures, and daily cost of Serotonin-Specific Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) antidepressants: A quasi-experimental study

“…If appropriate treatment is not applied, patients may develop a disability, premature death, and severe aftermath to their families from depression. However, in a national cross-sectional epidemiological survey from 157 representative points in 31 provinces across China, only 0.5% of participants with depressive disorders were treated adequately ( Yu et al, 2021 ), indicating that only a few people have received adequate treatments. If the treatments of depression are not effective and standardized, it will result in a huge social and economic burden.…”

“…To a certain extent, reducing the burden of drug costs can improve the compliance of depressive disorder patients. In China, national programs are needed to remove barriers to accessibility, availability, and affordability of medication treatment for depression ( Yu et al, 2021 ).…”

Characterization of the intrahippocampal kainic acid model in female mice with a special focus on seizure suppression by antiseizure drugs and DMSO

“…While HPDs in male mice after IHKA were described as a model of drug-resistant seizures (Duveau et al, 2016; Riban et al, 2002; Zangrandi et al, 2016), the only previous study testing ASDs in female IHKA mice did not assess HPDs, but so-called seizure-like events with a duration ≥3 sec (Klein et al, 2015). Since drug-responsiveness of HPDs in female IHKA mice has not been addressed yet, we sought to test LTG, OXC and LEV, which are listed among the most frequently prescribed ASDs over the last decade (Hochbaum et al, 2022; Yu et al, 2021). Of each of these ASDs a dose effective in rodent seizure models (Barton et al, 2001; Klitgaard et al, 1998; Luszczki et al, 2003; Luszczki & Czuczwar, 2004) and comparable to the therapeutic range for epilepsy patients as well as a threefold higher dose were tested, consistent with the doses previously applied in our group to evaluate drug-resistance of HPDs in male IHKA mice (Zangrandi et al, 2016).…”