Tendencias en el consumo de medicamentos opiáceos en la isla de El Hierro (2016-2019). Primera parte

Abstract

Objectives. The aim of this study was to analyze the consumption patterns of opioid drugs in the island of El Hierro over four-year period (2016-2019) by means drug utilization study Materials and Methods. The data on the consumption of the opioid drugs, reported as wholesales for month, were provided for pharmaceutical cooperative in Canary Islands. The consumption pattern was expressed as number of sale units per 1000 inhabitants and per year. Results. The consumption as number of sold units per 1000 inhabitants and year shows that the ramadolparacetamol combination is the most consumed (56.15%), while the second and third place were occupied by tramadol (12.83%) and fentanyl (11.92%), respectively. This consumption pattern was also observed at township and health areas level, but with slightly variations. In addition, the pharmaceutical preparations with low-amount of drug and low number of units per package were the most frequently used. Conclusions. The consumption patterns observed at the island level are due to variations in the number of sold units but not a real variation in consumption. At this point, sociodemographic and cultural factors play an important role.