Drug utilization by the 30-64 year-old people in two cities in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1984

Abstract

A study has been done to describe and compare the drug utilization profiles of the 30-64 yr-old populations in two cities in the Federal Republic of Germany. Subjects from two community surveys, based on random samples in 1984, from the communities of Augsburg in the south, and Luebeck in the north, were asked to bring to interview any medications taken in the preceding seven days. Total drug use in the two communities was very similar. Women took more drugs than men. The drug categories used by at least 5% of men were analgesics/antirheumatics and antihypertensives. The prevalence of use of different drug categories by men was remarkably similar in the two cities, and the only significant difference was a greater consumption of antihypertensive drugs by Luebeck men (9.8%) compared to Augsburg men (6.3%). The drugs taken by at least 5% of women were sex hormones, analgesics/antirheumatics, antihypertensives, thyroid preparations, psychotropics, cardiac drugs and antihypotensives. Consumption by Augsburg women was significantly greater for sex hormones, cardiac drugs, thyroid drugs, and migraine drugs, whereas Luebeck women consumed significantly more antihypertensives. The high use of thyroid drugs by Augsburg women (11%) is indicative of the high frequency of endemic goitre in the southeastern quarter of the FRG. Although it has been shown from sales data that the FRG has a high consumption of cardiac glycosides, the 6% prevalence of use of preparations of them by 30-64 yr-old Augsburg women represents more precise exposure information and reflects a relatively young group of users.