[Prescription of osteoporosis drugs and secondary fracture prevention still at low levels and with large regional variation]

Lakartidningen. 2024 Jan 30:121:23126.
[Article in Swedish]

Abstract

In Sweden, secondary prevention of fragility fractures through osteoporosis medication is directed by national guidelines. According to these, postmenopausal women and men who have suffered a fragility fracture should be assessed and pharmaceutical treatment of osteoporosis should always be considered. For the most serious fractures (hip and vertebral fractures), treatment can be initiated immediately. Despite this, previous studies have shown that the level of pharmaceutical treatment is low. In Sweden, osteoporosis drugs are predominantly administered by prescription, but about one-third of drugs are nowadays administered on-site in the health care system, which is not recorded in national registers. We have estimated the total amount of osteoporosis drugs through aggregated sales statistics. Our results show that medical treatment with osteoporosis drugs is still at low levels, covering approximately 5 percent of the population aged 70 or older, with clear differences between regions.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Bone Density Conservation Agents* / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Fractures, Bone* / complications
  • Hip Fractures* / complications
  • Hip Fractures* / epidemiology
  • Hip Fractures* / prevention & control
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Osteoporosis* / complications
  • Osteoporosis* / drug therapy
  • Osteoporotic Fractures* / complications
  • Osteoporotic Fractures* / drug therapy
  • Osteoporotic Fractures* / prevention & control
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations
  • Prescriptions
  • Secondary Prevention / methods

Substances

  • Pharmaceutical Preparations
  • Bone Density Conservation Agents