Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore the treatment patterns of patients with a diagnosis related to chronic pain (DRCP) initiating pharmacological treatment indicated for neuropathic pain (NeuP: tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and anticonvulsants).
DESIGN: Retrospective study on administrative registers.
SETTING: General population in Western Sweden (one sixth of the country).
SUBJECTS: All patients with a DRCP (N = 840,000) in years 2004-2009.
OUTCOME MEASURES: Treatment sequence, continuation, switching, and comedication.
RESULTS: In total, 22,997 patients with a first NeuP in 2007 or 2008 were identified, out of which 2% also had epilepsy and 39% had a mood disorder. The remaining 13,749 patients were assumed to be treated for neuropathic pain, out of which 16% had a neuropathy diagnosis, 18% had a mixed pain diagnosis, and the remaining 66% had another DRCP. The most common first prescription was amitriptyline (40%) followed by pregabalin (22%) and gabapentin (19%). More than half had discontinued treatment after 3 months, and 60-70% at 6 months. Seven percent received another NeuP drug within 6 months of the discontinuation of their first NeuP treatment, 11% had another analgesic and 22% had a prescription indicating psychiatric comorbidity (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or benzodiazepine).
CONCLUSIONS: Treatment initiation of currently available drugs indicated for neuropathic pain less frequently lead to long-term treatment in clinical practice compared with clinical trial, and few try more than one drug. We suggest our findings to be indications of a need for better routines in diagnosing patients to ascertain optimal treatment and follow-up.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1072-80 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Pain Medicine |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2013 Jul |
Externally published | Yes |
Subject classification (UKÄ)
- Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy
- Family Medicine
Free keywords
- Adolescent
- Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Analgesics
- Anticonvulsants
- Antidepressive Agents
- Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic
- Child
- Chronic Pain
- Comorbidity
- Drug Prescriptions
- Drug Therapy, Combination
- Female
- Humans
- Hypnotics and Sedatives
- Male
- Mental Disorders
- Middle Aged
- Neuralgia
- Registries
- Retrospective Studies
- Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors
- Sweden
- Young Adult
- Journal Article