Relationship between drugs, prescribing rates, ADEs, severity of ADEs, and hospitalisation and manifestations of ADEs in patients aged 45 and over
| Drug group (ATC level 3) | BEACH (2007–2010) | SAND (all samples) | SAND (2010 samples only) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATC code | Relative prescribing frequency, per cent (95% CI; n=170 492) | Relative ADE frequency, per cent (95% CI; n =912) | Drug sub-group, ATC level 4 or ATC level 3 (ATC code) | Relative ADE frequency, per cent (95% CI; n=912) | Severity of ADE | Hospitalised | Manifestation of most recent ADE Main type/s of reaction (ICPC-2 rubrics) | ||||
| Mild, percentage of subgroup | Moderate, percentage of subgroup | Severe, percentage of subgroup | Percentage of sub-group | Column, per cent | |||||||
| Opioids | N02A | 6.5 (6.3 to 6.7) | 8.2 (6.3 to 10.2) | Natural opium alkaloids (N02AA) | 4.2 (2.7 to 5.6) | 52.8 | 30.6 | 16.7 | 19.4 | 14.3 | Constipation, vomiting, nausea, vertigo/dizziness and sleep disturbance |
| Antidepressants | N06A | 4.3 (4.1 to 4.4) | 7.8 (6.0 to 9.6) | Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (N06AB) | 3.7 (2.7 to.0) | 47.1 | 41.2 | 11.8 | 3.1 | 2.0 | Feeling anxious, diarrhoea and alpitations |
| Lipid-modifying agents, plain | C10A | 6.1 (5.9 to 6.2) | 6.9 (5.0 to 8.8) | Statins (C10AA) | 6.4 (4.5 to 8.2) | 36.2 | 48.3 | 15.5 | 3.4 | 0.0 | Muscle pain, urticaria and digestive symptom NOS |
| NSAIDs | M01A | 3.7 (3.6 to 3.9) | 6.3 (4.7 to 7.8) | NSAIDs (M01A) | 6.3 (4.7 to 7.8) | 45.6 | 45.6 | 8.8 | 10.5 | 8.1 | Abdominal/epigastric pain, nausea, rash and swollen ankles/oedema |
| ACE inhibitors, plain | C09A | 4.0 (3.9 to 4.1) | 5.3 (3.7 to 6.8) | ACE inhibitors—plain (C09AA) | 5.3 (3.7 to 6.8) | 64.6 | 31.3 | 4.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Cough |
| Penicillins | J01C | 3.9 (3.7 to 4.0) | 4.8 (3.4 to 6.3) | Penicillins (J01C) | 4.8 (3.4 to 6.3) | 50.0 | 38.6 | 11.4 | 4.5 | 4.1 | Diarrhoea, rash and nausea |
| Selective calcium channel blockers with mainly vascular effects | C08C | 2.6 (2.5 to 2.7) | 3.9 (2.7 to 5.2) | Calcium channel blockers (C08C) | 3.9 (2.7 to 5.2) | 55.6 | 30.6 | 13.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Swollen ankles/oedema and rash |
| Other analgesics N02B | 3.3 (3.2 to 3.4) | 3.9 (2.7 to 5.2) | Salicylates (N02BA) | 1.4 (0.7 to 2.2) | 46.2 | 38.5 | 15.4 | 16.7 | 4.1 | Cardiac arrhythmia, malaena, haematuria and haemoptysis | |
| Anilides (N02BE) | 2.5 (1.4 to 3.6) | 52.2 | 39.1 | 8.7 | 0.0 | Tinnitus | |||||
| β blocking agents | C07A | 2.9 (2.8 to 3.0) | 2.6 (1.6 to 3.6) | β blocking agents (C07A) | 2.6 (1.6 to 3.6) | 29.2 | 66.7 | 4.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Cardiac arrhythmia, nausea, weakness/tiredness and postural hypotension |
| Hypoglycaemic agents excluding insulins | A10B | 3.4 (3.3 to 3.5) | 2.6 (1.5 to 3.7) | Biguanides (A10BA) | 1.5 (0.7 to 2.3) | 14.3 | 71.4 | 14.3 | 7.1 | 2.0 | Diarrhoea and nausea |
| Drugs for bone structure and mineralisation | M05B | 0.9 (0.9 to 1.0) | 2.3 (1.3 to 3.3) | Bisphosphonates (M05BA/BB) | 1.5 (0.7 to 2.3) | 38.9 | 38.9 | 22.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Fever, nausea and pain |
| Drugs for peptic ulcer and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease | A02B | 4.4 (4.3 to 4.5) | 2.2 (1.2 to 3.1) | Proton pump inhibitors (A02BC) | 2.0 (1.1 to 2.9) | 38.9 | 44.4 | 16.7 | 6.3 | 2.0 | Diarrhoea and abdominal pain |
| Antiepileptics | N03A | 0.8 (0.7 to 0.8) | 1.8 (0.8 to 2.7) | Antiepileptics (N03A) | 1.8 (0.8 to 2.7) | 56.3 | 31.3 | 12.5 | 6.3 | 2.0 | Neurological symptom NOS, sleep disorder and speech disorder |
ADE, adverse drug events; ATC, Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical; BEACH, Bettering the Evaluation And Care of Health; ICPC-2, International Classification of Primary Care Version 2; NOS, not otherwise specified; NSAIDs, Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Agents; SAND, Supplementary Analysis of Nominated Data.