TABLE 3.
Per cent absolute annual changes in prescription rates for antihypertensive drugs, comparison of three time periods
| Drug | Absolute annual changes in prescription rates, % (95% CI)
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2002 versus 1996–1998 | 2003–2006 versus 1996–1998 | 2003–2006 versus 1999–2002 | |
| Total antihypertensive | 6.4 | 1.5 | –4.7 |
| drugs | (4.0 to 8.5) | (–0.9 to 4.0) | (–7.0 to –2.4) |
| Thiazide diuretics | 8.9 | 3.9 | –5.0 |
| (4.3 to 13.5) | (–1.0 to 8.8) | (–9.6 to –0.4) | |
| Angiotensin-converting | 5.7 | –1.3 | –7.0 |
| enzyme inhibitors | (1.9 to 9.6) | (–5.4 to 2.8) | (–10.9 to –3.2) |
| Angiotensin receptor | –65.6 | –66.8 | –21.9 |
| blockers | (–109.9 to –41.4) | (–97.1 to –36.5) | (–34.6 to –13.8) |
| Beta-blockers | 3.6 | 0.8 | –2.8 |
| (1.6 to 5.6) | (–1.3 to 2.9) | (–4.8 to –0.8) | |
| Calcium channel | 6.2 | 4.7 | –1.4 |
| blockers | (3.2 to 9.2) | (1.5 to 7.9) | (–4.4 to 1.5) |
Derived from the IMS CompuScript database (IMS Health Canada)