Table 1.
Characteristics of new users of fluticasone/salmeterol before and after the introduction of formulary restrictions *†.
| Characteristics | Liberal (n = 72,154) | Restricted (n = 5,058) | Difference (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic | |||
| Age, years | 62.1 (17) | 64.0 (17) | 1.9 (1.4, 2.3) |
| Male | 29,647 (41) | 2,139 (42) | 1 (0, 3) |
| Respiratory History | |||
| Medical History in the Prior Year | |||
| Asthma | 23,666 (33) | 2,475 (49) | 16 (15, 18) |
| COPD | 31,747 (44) | 2,476 (49) | 5 (4, 6) |
| Pneumonia | 9,863 (14) | 717 (14) | 1 (−1, 2) |
| Hospitalization in the Prior Year for Respiratory | |||
| Cause | |||
| Asthma | 2,961 (4) | 397 (8) | 4 (3, 5) |
| COPD | 8,078 (11) | 1,103 (22) | 11 (9, 12) |
| Pneumonia | 2,273 (3) | 316 (6) | 3 (2, 4) |
| Measures of Disease Burden | |||
| Hospitalization for Any Cause in the Prior Year | 14,937 (21) | 1,523 (30) | 9 (8, 11) |
| Physician Visits in the Prior Year | |||
| 0–5 | 16,125 (22) | 877 (17) | −5 (−6, −4) |
| 6–10 | 18,617 (26) | 1,241 (25) | −1 (−3, 0) |
| 11–15 | 13,520 (19) | 935 (18) | 0 (−1, 1) |
| 16+ | 23,892 (33) | 2,005 (40) | 7 (5, 8) |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index | |||
| 0 | 17,985 (25) | 739 (15) | −10 (−11,−9) |
| 1 | 34,662 (48) | 2,575 (51) | 3 (1, 4) |
| 2 | 8,616 (12) | 650 (13) | 1 (0, 2) |
| ≥3 | 10,891 (15) | 1,094 (22) | 7 (5, 8) |
| Prescribing Physician Specialty | |||
| General Practitioner | 59,101 (82) | 3,488 (69) | −13 (−14, −12) |
| Respirologist | 10,173 (14) | 1,361 (27) | 13 (12, 14) |
| Other | 2,880 (4) | 209 (4) | 0 (0, 1) |
| Prior Medication Use | |||
| Number of Unique Prescription Drugs | 9.3 (5) | 11.6 (5) | 2.3 (2.1, 2.4) |
| Respiratory Medications | |||
| Bronchodilators | 8,256 (11) | 1,513 (30) | 19 (17, 20) |
| Cromoglycates | 117 (0) | 5 (0) | 0 (0, 0) |
| Inhaled corticosteroids | 31,339 (43) | 3,581 (71) | 27 (26, 29) |
| Leukotrienes | 3,522 (5) | 432 (9) | 4 (3, 4) |
| Beta-agonists | |||
| LABA | 5,827 (8) | 1,198 (24) | 16 (14, 17) |
| LABA with Inhaled Corticosteroid | 168 (0) | 237 (5) | 5 (4, 5) |
| SABA | 35,198 (49) | 3,716 (73) | 25 (23, 26) |
| SABA/Anticholinergic Combined | 13,451 (19) | 1,828 (36) | 18 (16, 19) |
| Xanthines | 4,915 (7) | 325 (6) | 0 (−1, 0) |
| Non-Respiratory Medications | |||
| Narcotics | 14,463 (20) | 1,175 (23) | 3 (2, 4) |
| NSAIDs | 27,339 (38) | 1,411 (28) | −10 (−11, −9) |
| Non-topical Antibiotics | 50,767 (70) | 3,420 (68) | −3 (−4, −1) |
| Oral Corticosteroids | 19,353 (27) | 2,366 (47) | 20 (19, 21) |
| Statins | 16,380 (23) | 1,636 (32) | 10 (8, 11) |
Abbreviations: LABA = long-acting beta-agonist; NSAIDs = non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; SABA = short-acting beta-agonist;
*
Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation or n (%).
†
The liberal use period was defined as September 1st, 1999 to September 30th, 2003, and restricted use was defined as January 1st, 2004 to October 31st, 2006.