| 1. |
- Björkman Lundberg, Kerstin, et al.
(författare)
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Compliance to National Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Treatment of Sleeping Disorders among Elderly Incident Patients in Sweden in PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, vol 20, issue , pp S203-S203
- 2011
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Ingår i: PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY. - : John Wiley and Sons. ; , s. S203-S203
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background:National guidelines for pharmaceutical treatmentof sleeping disorders among elderly state that zopicloneshould be the first choice and that other hypnotics,such as long acting benzodiazepines and propiomazine,should be avoided. According to aggregated data describingprevalent users compliance to guidelines is fairly high. Objectives:The objective of this study was to investigatechoice and volume (DDD) of substance among incidentusers 75 years and older (75+) of hypnotics (N05C) in Swedenand compare between different county councils andwith incident users below 75 years of age. Methods:Data from the Swedish Prescribed Drug registercovering all dispensed prescriptions in Sweden was analyzedfor incident users of hypnotics (15–44, 45–64, 65–74 and 75+ years of age). Incident users were defined aspeople who filled a prescription (index date) of a hypnotic(N05C) during the period December 2009 - November2010 and had not filled any prescription for a hypnotic duringa wash-out period of 24 months before the index date. Results:Among incident patients 75+ (n= 38,620) zopiclone(52.9%), zolpidem (25.4%), and propiomazine(10.4%) were the most frequently used hypnotics. Therewere however differences between different county councilsin Sweden, with zopiclone ranging from 30 % to 68 %. Theincidence for recommended and appropriate hypnoticsincreased with increasing age, whereas the incidence ofinappropriate hypnotics did not. The prescribed volume ofinappropriate hypnotics was generally larger than the prescribedvolume of recommended hypnotics. Conclusions:The compliance to current guidelines onchoice of hypnotics for the elderly is fairly good, althoughthere is considerable variation between county councils.There are tendencies towards larger mean volumes of inappropriatehypnotics, although further studies are needed toconfirm these findings. Another aspect of quality in treatmentwith sleeping agents is to which extent incident userscontinue their treatment and for how long. This is an issuefor further research.
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| 2. |
- Carlsson, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Prioritering och finansiering av läkemedel för behandling av patienter med sällsynta sjukdomar : Reviderad version
- 2012
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- I ett tilläggsdirektiv till utredningen om vissa frågor om prissättning, tillgänglighet och marknadsförutsättningar inom läkemedels- och apoteksområdet (Dir. 2011:82) ingår att analysera behovet av särskilda lösningar vid beslut om subventionering för särläkemedel. Ett särläkemedel är ett läkemedel som uppfyller vissa villkor och därmed omfattas av särskilda stimulansåtgärder innan godkännande av läkemedelsmyndighet samt möjlighet, men inte rätt, till ensamrätt på marknaden under 10 år.I rapporten analyseras den etiska plattformen och läkemedelsförmånslagen, som är Tandvårds- och läkemedelsförmånsverkets (TLV) utgångspunkter för subventionsbeslut. En slutsats som dras är att dagens etiska plattform tillsammans med den modifiering av kostnadseffektivitetsprincipen, som finns i lagen om läkemedelsförmåner, ger möjlighet att komma till slutsatsen att samhället är berett att betala mer per hälsovinst för läkemedel riktade till mycket sällsynta och svåra sjukdomar/tillstånd.Människovärdesprincipen ger uttryck för att irrelevant grupptillhörighet eller gruppegenskap inte ska påverka en patientgrupps lika möjligheter och lika utfall när det gäller hälsa. Huruvida en patientgrupp är liten eller stor är en sådan irrelevant gruppegenskap och gruppens storlek eller tillståndets sällsynthet bör därmed inte påverka gruppens möjligheter till behandling eller till att kunna uppnå ett jämlikt hälsoutfall jämfört med andra större grupper eller grupper med mer vanliga sjukdomar. Däremot kan den konsekvens i form av höga kostnader för behandling som sällsynthet kan medföra, vara en grund för särbehandling.Behovs-solidaritetsprincipen ger dels uttryck för att alla medborgare bör ges lika möjligheter att uppnå god hälsa och dels uttryck för att vi bör uppnå ett så lika hälsoutfall som möjligt för medborgarna. Om vi låter utvecklingskostnaden för läkemedel mot sällsynta tillstånd påverka möjligheten att ta del av dessa läkemedel ges inte medborgarna lika möjligheter till att uppnå god hälsa. Utifrån detta drar vi slutsatsen att sällsynta och svåra tillstånd bör ges likartade möjligheter att uppnå god hälsa som vanliga och allvarliga tillstånd.Kostnadseffektivitetsprincipen. När en sämre kostnadseffektivitet främst beror på höga kostnader som framför allt är kopplade till storleken på den grupp som patienten tillhör dvs. storleken på marknaden för läkemedlet och inte på dålig effekt hos åtgärden finns det av rättviseskäl anledning att dels försöka påverka kostnadsaspekten av läkemedlet, dels i vissa fall acceptera en sämre kostnadseffektivitet. Kostnaden kan påverkas genom t.ex. prissättning på läkemedel efter särskilda avtal med det marknadsförande företaget. Det finns ett värde i att veta att man lever i ett barmhärtigt samhälle som tar hand om och försöker hjälpa de människor som befinner sig i livshotande eller andra svåra situationer. Detta värde består dels i att vetskapen skapar större trygghet och tillit till samhället utifrån ett egenintresse eftersom vi alla kan löpa risk att drabbas av svåra tillstånd, dels utifrån en mer altruistisk motivering som består i att vi påverkas positivt av att bara veta att vi lever i ett barmhärtigt samhälle. Detta är en faktor som därför även borde vägas in i kostnadseffektivitetskalkyler. Storleken på detta värde är oklart.Särläkemedel är en relativt heterogen grupp och det finns andra läkemedel med motsvarande egenskaper som inte ansökt om status som särläkemedel. Ur prioriteringssynpunkt är det mer relevant att istället fokusera på läkemedel som används för sällsynta och svåra sjukdomar. Läkemedel vid mycket sällsynta och svåra tillstånd, särskilt när annan behandling saknas, bör därför handläggas i sär- skild ordning oavsett status som särläkemedel eller ej. För att säkerställa jämlik tillgång, transparenta beslut och god vård är en modell med nationellt beslutsfattande för sådana läkemedel att föredra. Tre alternativa principer för beslut och finansiering diskuteras: staten som huvudman, samarbete mellan stat och landsting samt samarbete mellan landstingen.
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| 3. |
- Defrere, D., et al.
(författare)
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L'-band AGPM vector vortex coronagraph's first light on LBTI/LMIRCam
- 2014
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Ingår i: Adaptive Optics Systems IV. - : SPIE. - 9780819496164
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present the first observations obtained with the L'-band AGPM vortex coronagraph recently installed on LBTI/LMIRCam. The AGPM (Annular Groove Phase Mask) is a vector vortex coronagraph made from diamond subwavelength gratings. It is designed to improve the sensitivity and dynamic range of high-resolution imaging at very small inner working angles, down to 0.09 arcseconds in the case of LBTI/LMIRCam in the L' band. During the first hours on sky, we observed the young A5V star HR8799 with the goal to demonstrate the AGPM performance and assess its relevance for the ongoing LBTI planet survey (LEECH). Preliminary analyses of the data reveal the four known planets clearly at high SNR and provide unprecedented sensitivity limits in the inner planetary system (down to the diffraction limit of 0.09 arcseconds).
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| 4. |
- Malmström, Rickard E., et al.
(författare)
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Dabigatran - a case history demonstrating the need for comprehensive approaches to optimize the use of new drugs
- 2013
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Pharmacology. - : FRONTIERS RESEARCH FOUNDATION. - 1663-9812. ; 4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: There are potential conflicts between authorities and companies to fund new premium priced drugs especially where there are safety and/or budget concerns. Dabigatran, a new oral anticoagulant for the prevention of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF), exemplifies this issue. Whilst new effective treatments are needed, there are issues in the elderly with dabigatran due to variable drug concentrations, no known antidote and dependence on renal elimination. Published studies have shown dabigatran to be cost-effective but there are budget concerns given the prevalence of AF. There are also issues with potentially re-designing anticoagulant services. This has resulted in activities across countries to better manage its use. Objective: To (i) review authority activities in over 30 countries and regions, (ii) use the findings to develop new models to better manage the entry of new drugs, and (iii) review the implications for all major stakeholder groups. Methodology: Descriptive review and appraisal of activities regarding dabigatran and the development of guidance for groups through an iterative process. Results: There has been a plethora of activities among authorities to manage the prescribing of dabigatran including extensive pre-launch activities, risk sharing arrangements, prescribing restrictions, and monitoring of prescribing post-launch. Reimbursement has been denied in some countries due to concerns with its budget impact and/or excessive bleeding. Development of a new model and future guidance is proposed to better manage the entry of new drugs, centering on three pillars of pre-, pen-, and post-launch activities. Conclusion: Models for introducing new drugs are essential to optimize their prescribing especially where there are concerns. Without such models, new drugs may be withdrawn prematurely and/or struggle for funding.
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| 5. |
- Pettersson, Billie
(författare)
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Lipid‐modifying and glucose-lowering therapies in clinical practice : The impact of guidelines and changing reimbursement schemes
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- cardiovascular disease, which is still a major cause of death that creates large burdens to society in terms of costs and morbidity. Dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus are the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and national and international guidelines recommend lipid-modifying and glucose-lowering treatments for prevention. In 2010, about 836,000 (9% of the population) and 372,000 patients respectively were treated with these therapies in Sweden.Various pharmaceutical policies aimed at improving the efficiency of drug use have been introduced over the years. Health technology assessment (HTA) was introduced in Sweden in 2002 as a foundation for informing pricing and reimbursement decisions by the Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency (TLV). Following HTA reviews, new reimbursement schemes for lipid-modifying and glucose-lowering therapies were introduced in 2009 and 2010 respectively. To assess the impact of the changing reimbursement schemes on the use and costs of these therapies, we analyzed data from the Swedish drug registry, using a quasi-experimental design and interrupted time series analyses.Our results showed that the new reimbursement scheme for lipid-modifying treatment had a major effect on use; following the implementation of this scheme, there was a substantial increase in both discontinuation and switching to higher doses. Conversely, the new reimbursement scheme for glucose-lowering therapies had overall only a minor effect on use. Larger savings in the lipid market were anticipated but not fully realized, while even the minor anticipated changes in costs in the glucose-lowering market were not realized due to increased costs for insulins. We found that changes in reimbursement schemes might lead to unintended effects, which should be considered before implementation. Softer demand-side policies, such as recommendations and guidelines, might be a better option under some circumstances.Clinical and national guidelines are other policies aimed at improving quality of care and drug use. We assessed the impact of guidelines on the quality of lipid-modifying therapies, defined as proportions of patients attaining goal/normal levels according to guidelines for lipid management. A longitudinal retrospective observational study was carried out, covering time periods before and after initiation of lipid-modifying treatment. The findings show that about 40% of the patients attained the recommended low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goals following treatment, but only 18% attained goals/normal levels in all lipid parameters. Improvement in triglycerides was moderate, and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol persisted, showing only modest improvement following therapy. Treatment patterns were found to have a better degree of adherence to guidelines regarding low-density lipoprotein cholesterol as compared to other lipid parameters.The overall objective of treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus is to improve glycemic control without negatively affecting quality of life. Hypoglycemia is a common side effect of intensive blood glucose control, mostly seen in patients treated with insulins. Earlier studies have suggested that hypoglycemia has a negative impact on quality of life, even in patients treated with oral glucose-lowering therapies. We carried out a cross-sectional retrospective study to assess the impact of self-reported experience of hypoglycemia on quality of life in Swedish adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with a combination of metformin and sulfonylureas. The results showed that about 40% of the patients achieved the goal of glycemic control. About 19% reported experience of moderate or more severe hypoglycemia, and these patients were found to have lower quality of life than those patients reporting no or mild hypoglycemia, as measured by EQ-5D, a generic quality of life instrument. This could be important to consider in clinical practice.
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| 6. |
- Pettersson, Billie, et al.
(författare)
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Utilization and Costs of Glucose‐ lowering Therapies following Health Technology Assessment for the new reimbursement scheme in Sweden
- 2012
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Ingår i: Health Policy. - : Elsevier. - 0168-8510 .- 1872-6054. ; 108:2-3, s. 207-215
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Objectives: A new reimbursement scheme (RS) for glucose lowering therapies (GLT) was implemented in Sweden on March 1, 2010. Products on the market were retained, restricted, excluded or excluded for new courses in the new RS. The aim of this study was to compare utilization and costs of GLT for type 2 diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) before and after the implementation of the changed RS.Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study using data on dispensed GLT and costs from adatabase on dispensed individual based prescriptions in Sweden. Segmentedregression analyses were used to assess utilization and costs.Results: Following the changed reimbursement status, there was an accelerated increasing trend in number of patients treated with restricted (P=0.0007) or retained (P=0.0021) insulins, as well as in costs for insulin based GLT (P=0.0014). No impact was detected in the total number of patients treated with oral GLT, but a slightly negative trend in total costs for oral GLT was detected following the intervention (P=0.0177).Conclusions: The new reimbursement scheme had a minor impact on utilization and costs of oral GLT. Despite restricted reimbursement for patients with T2DM, the utilization of insulin based GLT and related costs increased faster following the intervention.
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| 7. |
- Pettersson, Billie, et al.
(författare)
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Utilization and costs of lipid modifying therapies following health technology assessment for the new reimbursement scheme in Sweden
- 2012
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Ingår i: Health Policy. - : Elsevier. - 0168-8510 .- 1872-6054. ; 104:1, s. 84-91
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: A new reimbursement scheme (RS) for lipid modifying therapies (LMT) was implemented in Sweden in June 2009. Products on the market were continued, restricted or excluded in the new RS. The aim of this study was to compare utilization, costs and switching behavior in patients treated with LMT before and after the new RS. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanMaterials and methods: This is a quasi-experimental study using data on dispensed LMT and costs from a database on dispensed individual prescriptions in Sweden. Segmented regression analyses were used to assess utilization and costs of LMT. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanResults: Number of patients treated with products with restricted reimbursement increased in level (P=0.0336) following the changes in the scheme, while decreased in level (Pandlt;0.0001) for products excluded from the RS. Patients initially treated with products excluded from the RS discontinued to a greater extent, and switched to higher doses of the same substance or to generic simvastatin. The total annual costs decreased moderately. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanConclusions: The decreasing trend in utilization of low-dose atorvastatin and rosuvastatin was accelerated and so was the increasing trend in utilization of generic simvastatin following the new RS. Switching to higher doses and discontinuation increased and expected savings were overestimated.
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