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. 2015 Sep 1;10:1769–1779. doi: 10.2147/COPD.S86198

Table 2.

Number and proportion of bronchodilator prescriptions over 1 year in total bronchodilator initiators and stratified by the years of index dates

Total initiators Years of index dates
2001–2003 2004–2006 2007–2010
Number of total bronchodilator prescriptions 21,235 11,162 5,712 4,451
Pattern of bronchodilator treatments
 By medication classesa, %
  Oral xanthines 62.63 65.70 61.71 56.12
  Oral beta-2 agonists 47.54 50.07 47.99 40.62
  SABAs 9.84 8.14 10.21 13.61
  SAMAs 8.78 8.68 8.05 9.98
  LABAs 1.14 2.02 0.26 0.04
  LABA/ICS FDCs 4.41 2.54 4.69 8.76
  LAMAs 2.23 0.01 2.12 7.93
 By regimensb, %
  Oral bronchodilators alone 80.79 83.77 81.92 71.89
  Oral and inhaled bronchodilators in combination 7.82 4.80 7.39 15.95
  Inhaled bronchodilators alone 11.39 11.43 10.70 12.15
Number of inhaled bronchodilator prescriptions 4,096 1,812 1,033 1,251
Pattern of inhaled bronchodilator treatments
 By regimensb, %
  Short-acting bronchodilators alone 61.62 71.85 61.76 46.68
  Short-acting and long-acting bronchodilators in combination 31.23 21.03 30.78 46.36
  Long-acting bronchodilators alone 7.15 7.12 7.45 6.95

Notes:

a

Proportions added up to more than 100% because patients may receive multiple bronchodilators during the 1-year follow-up period.

b

Proportions may not be equal to 100% due to rounding.

Abbreviations: FDCs, fixed dose combinations; LABAs, long-acting beta-2 agonists; LAMAs, long-acting muscarinic antagonists; SABAs, short-acting beta agonists; SAMAs, short-acting muscarinic antagonists; ICS, inhaled cortiocsteroids.