Table 2.
Frequency of exposure for patients defined as current users of ibuprofen alone, paracetamol alone and concomitant ibuprofen and paracetamol overall and stratified by exposure characteristics
| Ibuprofen alone (n patients = 780 003) (n prescriptions = 2 400 082) | Paracetamol alone (n patients = 363 177) (n prescriptions = 2 549 372) | Concomitant ibuprofen and paracetamol (n patients = 37 079) (n prescriptions = 117 443) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exposure characteristics | % of Rx | Mean age (years) | Women (%) | Repeat NSAID Rx* (%) | % of Rx | Mean age (years) | Women (%) | Repeat NSAID Rx* (%) | % of Rx | Mean age (years) | Women (%) | Repeat NSAID Rx* (%) | |
| All | 100 | 57.0 | 60.8 | 50.2 | 100 | 71.6 | 70.6 | 76.0 | 100 | 64.6 | 68.8 | 76.3 | |
| First Rx | 18.1 | 44.7 | 53.5 | 11.5 | 4.9 | 56.9 | 63.6 | 21.1 | 6.0 | 46.9 | 59.1 | 20.6 | |
| Long gap | 20.6 | 51.6 | 62.1 | 16.8 | 9.9 | 65.6 | 71.1 | 31.1 | 11.8 | 54.1 | 69.6 | 29.6 | |
| Medication possession ratio | Low | 15.1 | 58.0 | 63.4 | 46.7 | 35.8 | 71.4 | 70.8 | 73.6 | 14.5 | 61.9 | 68.7 | 62.5 |
| Medium | 10.4 | 62.3 | 62.5 | 71.1 | 20.9 | 74.0 | 70.5 | 90.9 | 12.2 | 66.6 | 68.7 | 84.1 | |
| High | 8.8 | 63.4 | 61.9 | 79.5 | 9.7 | 73.9 | 70.0 | 92.0 | 10.4 | 67.5 | 68.8 | 89.6 | |
| Very high | 27.0 | 64.7 | 62.1 | 85.7 | 18.9 | 75.1 | 72.0 | 93.2 | 45.1 | 69.5 | 70.1 | 94.7 | |
*
Within 3 months. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding. NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; Rx, prescription.