Prescribing by general practitioners after an osteoporotic fracture

OBJECTIVES Osteoporosis is a major cause of morbidity and cost. Patients sustaining one osteoporotic fracture are at increased risk of having another fracture. The objective of this study was to examine the use of “bone drugs” for the prevention of further osteoporotic fractures among patients who h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of the rheumatic diseases 1998-06, Vol.57 (6), p.378-379
Main Authors: Torgerson, David J, Dolan, Paul
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Concise Reports
Confidence intervals
Diseases of the osteoarticular system
Drug Utilization
Family Practice
Female
fracture
Fractures
Fractures, Bone - etiology
Fractures, Bone - prevention & control
Hip Fractures - etiology
Hip Fractures - prevention & control
Humans
Medical sciences
Metabolism
Middle Aged
Mortality
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal - complications
Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal - drug therapy
Osteoporosis. Osteomalacia. Paget disease
Patients
Pharmaceuticals
Prevention
Recurrence
Spinal Fractures - etiology
Spinal Fractures - prevention & control
Vitamin D
Wrist Injuries - etiology
Wrist Injuries - prevention & control
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Summary:OBJECTIVES Osteoporosis is a major cause of morbidity and cost. Patients sustaining one osteoporotic fracture are at increased risk of having another fracture. The objective of this study was to examine the use of “bone drugs” for the prevention of further osteoporotic fractures among patients who have had a “typical” osteoporotic fracture. METHODS This study took a random sample of 300 women aged 50 and over who had sustained either a vertebral, hip or Colles fracture in 1995 from the General Practice Research Database (GPRD) and compared their use of bone drugs with 300 age and practice matched controls. RESULTS Compared with age and practice matched control patients only vertebral fracture patients showed a statistically significant increase in the use of bone drugs in the year after fracture (39% and 2% for cases and controls respectively; 95% CI of difference 27% to 47%). Etidronate was the most commonly used compound. CONCLUSION The majority of patients sustaining an osteoporotic fracture are not prescribed any pharmaceutical agents for the secondary prevention of fracture one year after a primary fracture.
ISSN:0003-4967
1468-2060
DOI:10.1136/ard.57.6.378