Table 1.
Descriptive statistics for participants in four evidence-based drug classes (ATC code)
| Medication Group (no patients enrolled) |
Antithrombotics (B01) (n=13 684) |
Lipid-lowering (C10) (n=14 427) |
Thyroid meds (H03) (n=3484) |
Respiratory inhalers (R03) (n=5227) |
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| No. patients at end of follow-up period | Hospitalised (n=2707) |
Non-hospitalised (n=6152) |
Hospitalised (n=2622) |
Non-hospitalised (n=6944) |
Hospitalised (n=586) |
Non-hospitalised (n=1641) |
Hospitalised (n=1067) |
Non-hospitalised (n=2110) |
| Mean(SD) | Mean(SD) | Mean(SD) | Mean(SD) | Mean(SD) | Mean(SD) | Mean(SD) | Mean(SD) | |
| Age (years) | 78.38 (7.06) | 75.32 (6.95) | 77.05 (6.77) | 73.78 (6.45) | 78.34 (7.25) | 74.59 (7.18) | 76.88 (7.02) | 74.29 (6.90) |
| No of consultations in enrolment period | 18.28 (10.40) | 14.80 (9.66) | 17.50 (10.09) | 13.71 (8.79) | 18.76 (10.29) | 14.81 (9.10) | 19.64 (11.09) | 16.07 (10.57) |
| No of repeat drug classes during enrolment period | 8.04 (3.72) | 7.01 (3.45) | 7.77 (3.75) | 6.44 (3.41) | 8.59 (4.30) | 6.67 (3.87) | 9.26 (4.24) | 7.99 (4.13) |
| RxRisk during enrolment period | 5.07 (2.05) | 4.55 (1.89) | 4.99 (2.09) | 4.26 (1.97) | 5.37 (2.42) | 4.36 (2.09) | 4.79 (2.18) | 4.29 (2.12) |
| N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | |
| Female | 1414 (52.23) | 3176 (51.63) | 1423 (54.27) | 3957 (56.98) | 468 (79.86) | 1349 (82.21) | 626 (58.67) | 1276 (60.47) |
| Insurance type: GMS/DVC | 2495 (92.17) | 5495 (89.32) | 2429 (92.64) | 6194 (89.20) | 537 (91.64) | 1445 (88.06) | 998 (93.53) | 1898 (89.95) |
| Charlson index of 1 or more | 1400 (51.72) | 2638 (42.88) | 1357 (51.75) | 2736 (39.40) | 290 (49.49) | 543 (33.09) | 690 (64.67) | 1120 (53.08) |
| Patients experiencing one hospitalisation only during first follow-up period | 2011 (74.29) | – | 1958 (74.68) | – | 457 (77.99) | – | 761 (71.32) | – |
| Patients discontinued during 1st follow-up period | 288 (10.64) | 693 (11.26) | 282 (10.76) | 727 (10.47) | 35 (5.97) | 139 (8.47) | 118 (11.06) | 359 (17.01) |
ATC, Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system; DVC, doctor visit card; GMS, general medical services.