抄録
We investigated the characteristics of hypolipidemic drug use at hospitals in Okinawa. We constructed a drug information database for prescriptions issued by 5 hospitals with over 300 beds in Okinawa (Okinawa Hokubu Hospital, Okinawa Chubu Hospital, Urasoe General Hospital, University of the Ryukyus Hospital and Okinawa Kyodo Hospital). A total of 16, 250 prescriptions was issued by the 5 hospitals from June 1 to 7, 1999 and among them 999 (6.1%) were for hypolipidemic drugs.
Hypolipidemic drugs comprised the highest proportion of prescriptions in the 65-74 years age group and in the 45-84 years age group they accounted for 92.9% of the total. By chemical structure, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors were prescribed the most among hypolipidemic drugs and nicotinic acid derivatives came second, followed by fibrates and probucol. In terms of individual drugs, pravastatin sodium was most prescribed and then came simvastatin, tocopherol, nicotinate, bezafibrate and probucol in that order. These five drugs accounted for more than 95% of all prescriptions. As for prescriptions for combinations of hypolipidemic drugs, the combination of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and fibrates accounted for about 25%. Since such combinations are contraindicated in principle, particular attention should be paid to adverse effects. Looking at combinations of hypolipidemic drugs and other drugs, the most frequently prescribed other drug type was vasodilators, followed by antipyretic analgesics, antihypertensive agents, peptic ulcer drugs, and antidiabetic drugs.
