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Montelukast use—a 19-year nationwide drug utilisation study

  • Pharmacoepidemiology and Prescription
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Montelukast is a leukotriene receptor antagonist used in asthma and rhinitis treatment. Despite being marketed nearly two decades ago, little is known about its utilisation pattern.

Methods

Using the Danish National Prescription Registry, we identified subjects filling a montelukast prescription between 1998 and 2017. Using descriptive statistics, we reported the development in incidence, and prevalence, as well as a measure of treatment duration, and concomitant use of asthma- or anti-allergic therapy.

Results

We identified 147,247 individuals filling 1,327,489 montelukast prescriptions. A total of 54,349 users (37%) filled only one montelukast prescription. The prevalence increased from 0.9/1000 persons in 1998 to 3.3/1000 persons in 2016. The rate of new users reached its maximum of 2.1/1000 person-years in 2009. Among new montelukast users, 28% were still users after 1 year. Among all montelukast initiators, 60% filled at least one prescription of short-acting beta-2-agonists (SABA) up to a year prior to montelukast initiation, and 49% filled a prescription of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). Only 0.8% (n = 1148) of all individuals initiated montelukast without a redeemed prescription of short- or long-term inhalation therapy, systemic antihistamines, or nasal topical anti-allergic treatment.

Conclusions

The usage of montelukast has increased over threefold since its market entry in 1998, mainly driven by an increased number of prevalent users. The majority of individuals who initiated montelukast filled a prescription of SABA up to a year prior to montelukast initiation, whereas almost half filled a prescription of ICS.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Odense University Hospital, B Winsløwsvej 19, 2, 5000, Odense C, Denmark

    Daniel Pilsgaard Henriksen, Jesper Rømhild Davidsen, Christian B. Laursen & Anders Christiansen

  2. Department of Clinical Biochemistry & Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark

    Daniel Pilsgaard Henriksen, Per Damkier & Jesper Hallas

  3. Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

    Per Damkier

  4. Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

    Jesper Hallas & Anton Pottegård

Authors
  1. Daniel Pilsgaard Henriksen
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  2. Jesper Rømhild Davidsen
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  3. Christian B. Laursen
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  4. Anders Christiansen
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  5. Per Damkier
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  6. Jesper Hallas
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  7. Anton Pottegård
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel Pilsgaard Henriksen.

Ethics declarations

The study was approved by the Danish Data Protection Agency. According to Danish law, pure register studies do not require approval from an ethics review board [24].

Conflict of interest

AP reports participation in research projects funded by Alcon, Almirall, Astellas, Astra-Zeneca, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Servier and Leo Pharma, all with funds paid to the institution where he was employed (no personal fees) and with no relation to the work reported in this paper.

DPH, JRD, CBL, AC, JH and PD declare no conflicts of interest.

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Henriksen, D.P., Davidsen, J.R., Laursen, C.B. et al. Montelukast use—a 19-year nationwide drug utilisation study. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 73, 1297–1304 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-017-2286-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-017-2286-3

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