This study investigated trends in the prescription of α-blockers for patients with BPH, focusing on changing patterns of prescriptions during 2002-2013 using National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort data. A total of 65,596 Korean males over 50 years old diagnosed with BPH were identified from the NHIS-NSC database between 2002-2013. Patterns of each α -blocker prescription were analyzed and persistence rate, switch rate, and return rate during a follow-up period of 3 years after the first prescription were calculated. A total of 28,318 men over 50 years old (64.95 ± 9.12), changed medication within six months following the first prescription of α -blocker. (1) Tamsulosin showed the highest persistence rate when compared with other α-blockers (2) Among patients who switched to a second α-blocker, tamsulosin showed the highest return rate when compared with other α-blockers. Tamsulosin has been the most commonly prescribed α1-blocker since the mid-2000s, in line with its demonstrated highest persistence and return rates. These data probably reflect patient satisfaction with α1-blockers in the management of BPH, in which the decision to stop and switch pharmacological treatments is primarily based on changes in symptoms or side effects.
Scientific reports. 2018 Sep 05*** epublish ***
Hyong Woo Moon, Jong Hyup Yang, Jin Bong Choi, Woong Jin Bae, Hyuk Jin Cho, Sung-Hoo Hong, Ji Youl Lee, Sae Woong Kim, Sang-Hyun Park, Kyungdo Han, U-Syn Ha
Department of Urology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea., Department of Biostatistics, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea., Department of Urology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea. .