Clinical use of multiple nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug preparations within individual rheumatology private practices
Pincus, T.; Callahan, L.F.
Journal of Rheumatology 16(9): 1253-1258
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0315-162X PMID: 2810284 Document Number: 329001
The clinical use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) was studied in 15 rheumatology proviate practices in the USA (in California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Tennessee). Among 1,423 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) under care in these 15 practices, the most extensively used NSAID preparation within any of the 15 individual proctices was taken by a median of 19.5% of patients (mean 20.7%, range 8-36%), and the 3 most extensively used preparations by a median of 45.9% (mean 47.7%, range 34.7-63.5%). The median number of NSAID preparations used (singly) in each of the individual practices was 15 (range 8-20), including a median of 7 (range 4-10) used by more than 5% of the patients within each practice. The NSAID usage of these patients with RA seen in private practice settings was met by 8 preparations for 70%, by 10 preparations for 80%, and by 14 preparations for 90% of the 1,423 patients.