Table 3.
Switching and discontinuation patterns among triptan users
| Citation | Country | Triptans (forms) | n | PS (%) | Time point for DCS, WCS, and BCS | DC (%) | WCS (%) | BCS (% of total cohort) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Opioid | NSAIDsab | BAR | Ergots | ||||||||
| Chen, 2014 [36] | Taiwan | suma, riza (oral, sc) | 13,951 | 4.0 by 2-yrs | 1st refill | 24.8 | 0.01 | 40.9 | 1.2 | 18.8 | 0 | 11.3 |
| Fischer, 2016 [37] | Austria | ele, frova, suma, zolmi (NR) | 126 | NR | 1st follow-up visit | 10.8 | 15.1 | 14.6a | NAa | 14.6ab | NR | NR |
| Katic, 2011 [38] | US | almo, nara, ele, frova, suma, riza, zolmi (all) | 40,892 | 6.4 by 2-yrs | 1st refill | 13.7 | 4.0 | 36.2 | 18.2 | 12.5 | 2.6 | 0 |
| Lombard, 2018 [39]c | US | NR | 124,556 | 15.0 by 1-yr | with one change after 1-year | 22.5 | 3.2 | 29.1 | 15.5 | 11.6a | 1.9 | NR |
| Ng-Mak, 2012 [40] | UK | almo, ele, frova, nara, riza, suma, zolmi (oral) | 3618 | 13.0 by 2-yr | 1st refill | 48.5 | 4.9 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 0 | 0.2 |
| France | 2051 | 6.0 by 2-yr | 1st refill | 54.9 | 6.8 | 4.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.6 | ||
| Germany | 954 | 9.0 by 2-yr | 1st refill | 54.7 | 6.3 | 2.3 | 0 | 1.3 | 0 | 0.1 | ||
Abbreviations: BAR Barbiturates, BCS Between class switches, DC Discontinuers, EU Europe, NR Not reported, PS Persistent users, SC Subcutaneous inj, US United States, WCS Within class switches, yr(s) Year(s)
aAcute medication other than triptans included nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and paracetamol. Opioids are not used in clinical routine for treatment of migraine headache in Austria
bNSAIDs/acetaminophen
cIn Lombard et al. there were 30% of patients who had 2+ switched, and not further information was given to characterize switching among these patients