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Co‐prescribing of medications used to treat obstructive lung disease, congestive heart failure and depression among users of topical beta blockers: estimates from three US Veterans Affairs Medical Centers
Author(s) -
Valuck Robert J.,
Perlman Jay I.,
Anderson Carolyn,
Wortman George I.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.023
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1099-1557
pISSN - 1053-8569
DOI - 10.1002/pds.634
Subject(s) - medicine , heart failure , veterans affairs , medical prescription , depression (economics) , copd , obstructive lung disease , intensive care medicine , concomitant , cardiology , emergency medicine , physical therapy , pharmacology , economics , macroeconomics
Purpose To estimate the frequency of co‐prescribing of medications used to treat obstructive lung disease, congestive heart failure, and depression among US armed service veterans for whom topical beta blockers (TBB) have been prescribed. Methods Prescription data from the computerized medical record systems of three US Veterans Affairs Medical Centers were obtained during Fall 1999 to identify patients for whom active prescriptions existed for TBB and/or drugs commonly used to treat obstructive lung disease, congestive heart failure, and depression. Results Among TBB users, the estimated co‐prescribing rate of medications used to treat obstructive lung disease is in the range of 7.8–9.7%, of medications used to treat congestive heart failure is in the range of 4.3–25.1%, and of medications used to treat depression is in the range of 8.8–11.7%. The total number of TBB users with a concurrent prescription for one or more of the conditions studied was in the range of 30.2–45.7%. Conclusions Since TBB may cause systemic side‐effects and thus potentially cause exacerbations of selected chronic conditions, it is important for researchers and prescribers to be aware of the frequency with which their patients withglaucoma may have other concomitant conditions. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.