Outpatient Rx amount for major chronic diseases decreased

The outpatient prescription amount decreased by 9% in April and May

Rx amount of antibiotics drop sharply due to patient declined

Prescriptions for chronic diseases such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes, which have the largest sales due to COVID-19, have been reduced by half.

 

According to UBIST, a drug research agency on the 17th, the outpatient prescription size was ₩2,360 billion in April and May, a 9.0% decrease from the same period last year.

 

In April, the outpatient prescription amount fell 8.7% from the same period last year, and the prescription amount decreased 9.4% last month.

 

Prescriptions for major chronic diseases that form a large market have declined.

 

The prescription amount for statin drugs used in the treatment of dyslipidemia was April and May, at 1618 billion won, a 4.0% decrease from the same period last year.

 

Considering that the prescription amount of statins in April and May rose 7.1% year-on-year, the decline was large.

 

In the first quarter, the outpatient prescription for statin drugs in the first quarter was ₩247 billion, an increase of 3.0% compared to the same period last year, but turned downward from April.

 

The prescription amount for statin drugs in April was ₩82 billion, a 2.8% decrease from the previous year, and decreased by 5.1% in May.

 

The prescription amount for hyperlipidemic drugs in the first quarter was ₩120 billion, up 26.0% from the previous year, but the prescription amount in April and May increased by 15.2%.

 

Recently, Rosuvastatin or Atorvastatin and Ezetimibe combined drugs increased explosively as the preference increased, but growth has been slow since April.

 

Monthly outpatient Rx Amount for major chronic disease treatments (Unit: ₩100 million, Source: UBIST)

It is analyzed that a full-scale prescription difference occurred in the second quarter as patients with chronic diseases received long-term prescriptions in advance in February and March when the number of COVID-19 infected patients surged.

 

In fact, when the number of COVID-19 infected patients surged, it was reported that the number of patients receiving prescriptions for 3 to 6 months in advance increased significantly.

 

The large chronic disease prescription market, such as hypertension or diabetes, has a similar pattern.

 

The April/May prescription for 'ARB+CCB' combination, the most commonly used hypertension drug, increased 2.3% compared to the same period last year.

 

Compared to last year's April and May prescriptions, an increase of 7.1% over the previous year, growth has slowed.

 

In the first quarter, the prescription size of outpatients was ₩198 billion, an increase of 10.0% from the same period last year.

 

‘ARB+CCB' is a combination drug of calcium channel blocker (CCB) and angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB).

 

The prescription amount of 'ARB+CCB' combination in the first quarter of last year was ₩180 billion, an increase of 9.2% over the previous year.

 

However, the growth rates in April and May were reduced to 3.2% and 1.4%, respectively.

 

In April and May, prescription amount for ARB-based drugs were ₩64.1 billion, a 3.3% decrease from the same period last year.

 

The prescription amount in April and May last year increased by 7.2% from the previous year, but this year it decreased.

 

Prescription amount for ARB-based drugs decreased in April and May by 2.8% and 4.9% YoY, respectively.

 

The size of the April/May prescription for the 'DPP4-inhibitor + Metformin' combination, which is the most widely used diabetes treatment, was ₩30.7 billion, a 1.4% decrease from last April & May (₩30.5 billion).

 

The prescription amount of 'DPP4-inhibitor + Metformin' in the first quarter rose 6.9% from last year.

 

Monthly outpatient Rx amount for major antibiotics (Unit: ₩100 million, Source: UBIST)

The amount of antibiotic prescription was significantly reduced in the major prescription market.

 

The prescription amount of Cephalosporins in April and May was ₩29.6 billion, a 39.2% decrease from the same period last year.

 

Prescriptions for oral Cephalosporins fell 1.3% year-on-year, but fell sharply after April.

 

It decreased by 41.2% in April compared to the same period last year, and decreased by 37.1% in May.

 

Prescription amount of oral Penicillins decreased 11.9% in the first quarter compared to the previous year, but fell 57.0% in April and May.

 

It is analyzed that the decrease in antibiotic prescription is closely related to the decrease in the number of patients.

 

This is because after the spread of COVID-19, external activities contracted and personal hygiene management, such as washing hands and wearing a mask, strengthened, and the incidence of infectious diseases such as cold decreased.

 

According to statistics released by UBcare last month, prescriptions for acute nasopharyngitis in April were 71% less than in the same period last year.

 

In April, the amount of prescriptions for children and adolescents decreased by 52% from the previous year, and the number of prescriptions dropped by 76%.