Table 3.
Number and proportion of bronchodilator prescriptions over 1 year stratified by physician specialists
| Family medicine | Internal medicine except chest | Chest | Others | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of total bronchodilator prescriptions | 1,671 | 6,458 | 9,228 | 3,968 |
| Pattern of bronchodilator treatments | ||||
| By medication classesa, % | ||||
| Oral xanthines | 55.60 | 63.84 | 71.26 | 43.55 |
| Oral beta-2 agonists | 57.27 | 47.09 | 40.78 | 59.90 |
| SABAs | 5.63 | 7.77 | 11.00 | 12.27 |
| SAMAs | 2.69 | 5.36 | 12.35 | 8.62 |
| LABAs | 0.00 | 0.79 | 2.05 | 0.08 |
| LABA/ICS FDCs | 0.66 | 1.87 | 8.33 | 1.01 |
| LAMAs | 0.06 | 1.25 | 4.14 | 0.28 |
| By regimensb, % | ||||
| Oral bronchodilators alone | 92.40 | 87.40 | 71.65 | 86.42 |
| Oral and inhaled bronchodilators in combination | 3.77 | 5.62 | 9.89 | 8.29 |
| Inhaled bronchodilators alone | 3.83 | 6.98 | 18.45 | 5.29 |
| Number of inhaled bronchodilator prescriptions | 127 | 814 | 2,616 | 539 |
| Pattern of inhaled bronchodilator treatments | ||||
| By regimensb, % | ||||
| Short-acting bronchodilators alone | 90.55 | 70.88 | 51.49 | 89.98 |
| Short-acting and long-acting bronchodilators in combination | 9.45 | 24.32 | 39.37 | 7.24 |
| Long-acting bronchodilators alone | 0.00 | 4.79 | 9.14 | 2.78 |
Notes:
a
Proportions add 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 corticosteroids.