Abstract
Background
Population-based studies of pharmaceutical use in children provide information on disease prevalence, physician practice and adherence to treatment. We undertook an evaluation of regional differences in prescription drug use by Manitoba children.
Methods
Using Manitoba’s population-based prescription data for 1998/99, the prevalence of children receiving prescriptions for antibiotics, analgesics, iron supplements, and four classes of psychotropic drugs was reported for Regional Health Authorities and Winnipeg Community Areas, ranked by a measure of population healthiness, the premature mortality rate (PMR). Prevalence rates were also reported by census-based neighbourhood income areas.
Results
60% of children received at least one prescription in 1998/99. Antibiotics, antiasthmatics, analgesics, antidepressants, and psychostimulants were the most commonly dispensed drugs. Prescription use of antibiotics, iron supplements, analgesics, antidepressants, antipsychotics and anxiolytics was highest in low income, urban neighbourhoods. Few associations between a region’s PMR and prescription utilization were observed, but children living in regions with the least healthy populations were more likely to use antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and anxiolytics. Psychostimulant use was unrelated to neighbourhood income, but highest rates were documented in some of the healthiest Winnipeg neighbourhoods.
Conclusion
We documented regional variation in prescription use which may be related to differences in health, physician practice or child use.
Résumé
Contexte
les études représentatives sur la consommation de produits pharmaceutiques par les enfants renseignent sur la prévalence des maladies, la pratique médicale et l’assiduité aux traitements. On examine ici les écarts régionaux dans la consommation de médicaments sur ordonnance par les enfants manitobains.
Méthode
À l’aide des données représentatives du Manitoba concernant les médicaments sur ordonnance (1998–1999), on a déterminé la prévalence des enfants s’étant fait prescrire des antibiotiques, des analgésiques, des suppléments de fer et quatre catégories de psychotropes dans les ORS et les CR de Winnipeg, classés selon une mesure de l’état de santé de la population (le TMP). On présente aussi les taux de prévalence en fonction du niveau de revenu des quartiers (selon le recensement).
Résultats
Soixante p. cent des enfants s’étaient fait prescrire au moins un médicament en 1998–1999. Les plus communément délivrés étaient les antibiotiques, les antiasthmatiques, les analgésiques, les antidépressifs et les psychostimulants. C’est dans les quartiers urbains à faible revenu que la consommation d’antibiotiques, de suppléments de fer, d’analgésiques, d’antidépressifs, d’antipsychotiques et d’anxiolytiques sur ordonnance était la plus élevée. On observe peu d’associations entre le TMP d’une région donnée et la consommation de médicaments sur ordonnance, mais les enfants vivant dans les régions où l’état de santé de la population était relativement mauvais étaient plus susceptibles de consommer des antibiotiques, des antiinflammatoires non stéroïdiens et des anxiolytiques. La consommation de psychostimulants n’était pas liée au niveau de revenu des quartiers, mais les taux les plus élevés ont été documentés dans certains des quartiers les plus aisés de Winnipeg.
Conclusion
les écarts régionaux observés dans la consommation de médicaments sur ordonnance pourraient être liés aux écarts dans l’état de santé, les pratiques des médecins ou la consommation par les enfants.
Footnotes
The full report “Assessing the Health of Children in Manitoba: A Population-Based Study” on which this article is based is available from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy at the above address or online at: https://doi.org/www.umanitoba.ca/centres/mchp/reports.htm
Sources of support: This work was supported as part of a project on Child Health in Manitoba, one of several projects undertaken each year by the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy under contract to Manitoba Health. The results and conclusions are those of the authors and no official endorsement by Manitoba Health was intended or should be inferred.
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