TY - JOUR
T1 - Multimorbidity in Asthma, Allergic Conditions and COPD Increase Disease Severity, Drug Use and Costs
T2 - The Finnish Pharmacy Survey
AU - Jantunen, Juha
AU - Haahtela, Tari
AU - Salimäki, Johanna
AU - Linna, Miika
AU - Mäkelä, Mika
AU - Pelkonen, Anna
AU - Kauppi, Paula
PY - 2019/8/1
Y1 - 2019/8/1
N2 - Background: Asthma, allergic conditions, and COPD overlap, but the effect of them and their combinations on disease severity, need for drugs, use of healthcare, and costs is poorly known. Objective: To study how different allergic diseases co-occur in asthma and allergy patients and evaluate the use of medication well as drug and healthcare costs. Methods: Nationwide Allergy Barometer Survey was carried out in the Finnish pharmacies during 1 week in September 2016. Altogether, 956 patients (5-75 years) who purchased asthma or allergy drugs with prescription participated in 351 pharmacies. Results: Of the participants, 78% reported physician-diagnosed asthma, 57% allergic rhinitis, 24% atopic eczema, 21% food allergy, 20% allergic conjunctivitis, 8% anaphylaxis, and 8% COPD. One-third of the patients had at least three conditions, and multimorbidity was common across all age groups. Disease severity increased with the number of coexisting conditions, and asthma severity also with age. Patients with asthma alone used on average 3.8 drugs with the annual costs of EUR 661. This increased to 4.9 drugs and EUR 847 in asthmatics with multimorbidity. For all participants, costs of drugs and healthcare services together during the preceding year were on average EUR 1,214, of which 56% were drug costs. The costs doubled to EUR 2,714 in 65 subjects (7%) who had both asthma and COPD. Conclusions: In asthma and allergy, multimorbidity and polypharmacy are major concerns. Disease severity, drug use, and costs increased with multimorbid conditions. To reduce the burden, allergy management should be better integrated and more comprehensive.
AB - Background: Asthma, allergic conditions, and COPD overlap, but the effect of them and their combinations on disease severity, need for drugs, use of healthcare, and costs is poorly known. Objective: To study how different allergic diseases co-occur in asthma and allergy patients and evaluate the use of medication well as drug and healthcare costs. Methods: Nationwide Allergy Barometer Survey was carried out in the Finnish pharmacies during 1 week in September 2016. Altogether, 956 patients (5-75 years) who purchased asthma or allergy drugs with prescription participated in 351 pharmacies. Results: Of the participants, 78% reported physician-diagnosed asthma, 57% allergic rhinitis, 24% atopic eczema, 21% food allergy, 20% allergic conjunctivitis, 8% anaphylaxis, and 8% COPD. One-third of the patients had at least three conditions, and multimorbidity was common across all age groups. Disease severity increased with the number of coexisting conditions, and asthma severity also with age. Patients with asthma alone used on average 3.8 drugs with the annual costs of EUR 661. This increased to 4.9 drugs and EUR 847 in asthmatics with multimorbidity. For all participants, costs of drugs and healthcare services together during the preceding year were on average EUR 1,214, of which 56% were drug costs. The costs doubled to EUR 2,714 in 65 subjects (7%) who had both asthma and COPD. Conclusions: In asthma and allergy, multimorbidity and polypharmacy are major concerns. Disease severity, drug use, and costs increased with multimorbid conditions. To reduce the burden, allergy management should be better integrated and more comprehensive.
KW - Allergic rhinitis
KW - Asthma costs
KW - Asthma multimorbidity
KW - Atopic eczema
KW - Pharmacotherapy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064983658&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1159/000498861
DO - 10.1159/000498861
M3 - Article
C2 - 30999310
AN - SCOPUS:85064983658
VL - 179
SP - 273
EP - 280
JO - INTERNATIONAL ARCHIVES OF ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY
JF - INTERNATIONAL ARCHIVES OF ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY
SN - 1018-2438
IS - 4
ER -