Table 1.
Changes in volume and expenditures for cardiovascular prescriptions, 1996–2006*
| Year; $† |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drug class; variable | 1996 | 2006 | Relative change, % | Average annual change, 1996–2006, % (95% CI) |
| Anticoagulants | ||||
| No. of prescriptions | 1 406 010 | 4 230 994 | 200.92 | 11.7 (10.1 to 13.2) |
| Prescriptions per 100 000 population | 4 686 | 14 100 | ||
| Total cost | 35 441 354 | 76 498 554 | 115.85 | 8.2 (3.8 to 12.6) |
| Cost per 100 000 population | 118 110 | 254 935 | ||
| Mean cost per prescription | 25.20 | 18.08 | −28.25 | |
| Thienopyridine antiplatelet agents | ||||
| No. of prescriptions | 261 259 | 2 500 051 | 856.92 | 26.2 (16.6 to 35.8) |
| Prescriptions per 100 000 population | 871 | 8 332 | ||
| Total cost | 23 427 533 | 240 587 242 | 926.94 | 27.2 (15.9 to 38.9) |
| Cost per 100 000 population | 78 073 | 801 768 | ||
| Mean cost per prescription | 89.64 | 96.23 | 7.35 | |
| Nitroglycerin | ||||
| No. of prescriptions | 1 470 182 | 1 326 829 | −9.75 | −0.9 (−3.8 to 1.9) |
| Prescriptions per 100 000 population | 4 899 | 4 422 | ||
| Total cost | 56 438 313 | 50 921 905 | −9.77 | −0.9 (−3.9 to 2.1) |
| Cost per 100 000 population | 188 083 | 169 700 | ||
| Mean cost per prescription | 38.39 | 38.38 | −0.03 | |
| Sublingual nitroglycerin | ||||
| No. of prescriptions | 941 125 | 702 684 | −25.34 | −2.8 (−4.6 to −1.1) |
| Prescriptions per 100 000 population | 3 136 | 2 342 | ||
| Total cost | 15 832 184 | 13 304 567 | −15.97 | −1.7 (−3.6 to 0.2) |
| Cost per 100 000 population | 52 761 | 44 338 | ||
| Mean cost per prescription | 16.82 | 18.93 | 12.54 | |
| β-Blockers | ||||
| No. of prescriptions | 6 860 893 | 14 803 817 | 115.77 | 8.0 (6.8 to 9.3) |
| Prescriptions per 100 000 population | 22 864 | 49 334 | ||
| Total cost | 193 165 515 | 342 515 800 | 77.32 | 5.9 (3.9 to 8.0) |
| Cost per 100 000 population | 643 733 | 1 141 449 | ||
| Mean cost per prescription | 28.15 | 23.14 | −17.80 | |
| Calcium antagonists | ||||
| No. of prescriptions | 7 490 159 | 13 243 599 | 76.81 | 5.9 (4.1 to 7.7) |
| Prescriptions per 100 000 population | 24 961 | 44 135 | ||
| Total cost | 510 550 730 | 869 823 073 | 70.37 | 5.6 (2.7 to 8.4) |
| Cost per 100 000 population | 1 701 433 | 2 898 725 | ||
| Mean cost per prescription | 68.16 | 65.68 | −3.64 | |
| Angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors | ||||
| No. of prescriptions | 7 488 248 | 17 605 685 | 135.11 | 9.0 (6.5 to 11.5) |
| Prescriptions per 100 000 population | 24 955 | 58 672 | ||
| Total cost | 404 926 478 | 956 662 583 | 136.26 | 9.1 (6.1 to 12.1) |
| Cost per 100 000 population | 1 349 436 | 3 188 121 | ||
| Mean cost per prescription | 54.07 | 54.34 | 0.50 | |
| Angiotensin-receptor blockers | ||||
| No. of prescriptions | 241 096 | 10 430 651 | 4226.35 | 49.6 (26.5 to 72.6) |
| Prescriptions per 100 000 population | 803 | 34 761 | ||
| Total cost | 13 586 755 | 608 561 142 | 4379.08 | 50.5 (25.7 to 75.3) |
| Cost per 100 000 population | 45 278 | 2 028 058 | ||
| Mean cost per prescription | 56.39 | 58.34 | 3.46 | |
| Diuretics | ||||
| No. of prescriptions | 11 648 537 | 23 615 881 | 102.74 | 7.4 (5.1 to 9.7) |
| Prescriptions per 100 000 population | 38 819 | 78 701 | ||
| Total cost | 133 479 671 | 245 623 245 | 84.02 | 6.4 (3.0 to 9.8) |
| Cost per 100 000 population | 444 827 | 818 551 | ||
| Mean cost per prescription | 11.46 | 10.40 | −9.25 | |
| Statins | ||||
| No. of prescriptions | 3 657 102 | 21 625 086 | 491.32 | 19.6 (15.4 to 23.9) |
| Prescriptions per 100 000 population | 12 187 | 72 067 | ||
| Total cost | 348 469 169 | 1 856 909 652 | 432.88 | 18.5 (13.2 to 23.8) |
| Cost per 100 000 population | 1 161 289 | 6 188 236 | ||
| Mean cost per prescription | 95.29 | 85.87 | −9.89 | |
| Total | ||||
| No. of prescriptions | 41 464 611 | 110 085 277 | 165.49 | 10.3 (8.5 to 12.1) |
| Prescriptions per 100 000 population | 138 183 | 366 864 | ||
| Total cost | 1 735 317 702 | 5 261 407 762 | 203.20 | 11.8 (9.3 to 14.3) |
| Cost per 100 000 population | 5 783 025 | 17 533 880 | ||
| Mean cost per prescription | 41.85 | 47.79 | 14.20 | |
Note: CI = confidence interval.
*
Data source: IMS Health Canada, Canadian CompuScript Audit®.
†
Unless indicated otherwise.