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Table 1 Prescription claims by medication class for primary care patients aged 65+ in Ontario, Canada

From: From pharmaco-therapy to pharmaco-prevention: trends in prescribing to older adults in Ontario, Canada, 1997-2006

MEDICATION CLASS

NUMBER OF CLAIMS

PROPORTION OF TOTAL CLAIMS

CLAIMS PER PERSON

 

1997

2006

Change

1997

2006

Change

1997

2006

Change

Osteoporosis

61,636

1,508,457

2,347%

0.38%

2.92%

668%

0.0445

0.919

1,965%

Lipid-lowering

445,390

3,549,066

697%

2.74%

6.88%

151%

0.3216

2.1621

572%

Thyroid replacements

484,499

1,724,859

256%

2.98%

3.34%

12%

0.3499

1.0508

200%

Psychotropics

1,899,995

6,716,502

254%

11.70%

13.02%

11%

1.3721

4.0918

198%

Cardiovascular

4,506,488

15,557,064

245%

27.75%

30.16%

9%

3.2544

9.4776

191%

Diabetes

686,009

2,341,826

241%

4.22%

4.54%

8%

0.4954

1.4267

188%

Gastrointestinal

1,764,359

5,326,708

202%

10.87%

10.33%

-5%

1.2741

3.2451

155%

Narcotics/analgesics

638,156

1,350,001

112%

3.93%

2.62%

-33%

0.4608

0.8224

78%

Corticosteroids

640,422

1,089,796

70%

3.94%

2.11%

-46%

0.4625

0.6639

44%

NSAIDs

1,094,162

1,816,538

66%

6.74%

3.52%

-48%

0.7902

1.1067

40%

Asthma/COPD

708,109

1,106,389

56%

4.36%

2.15%

-51%

0.5114

0.674

32%

Antibiotics

865,051

1,261,464

46%

5.33%

2.45%

-54%

0.6247

0.7685

23%

All other classes

2,619,665

7,685,790

193%

15.06%

15.96%

6%

1.8918

4.6823

148%