Key result
Drug utilization of antihypertensive drugs showed marked regional differences across hospitals, counties, and Nordic countries, which likely have small medical but important economic implications.
Marked regional differences in antihypertensive drug utilization highlight the need for standardized treatment programs and continuing medical education to optimize healthcare resources.
Regional variations in antihypertensive prescribing may carry economic but limited clinical impact; leaves open whether standardization improves outcomes in prospective studies.
Drug utilization studies are a valuable tool in health services research aiming to improve quality of health care and use of resources. We first present a simple model for drug utilization studies and then give practical examples from our studies in Norway, mainly dealing with the treatment of hypertension. There are marked differences in drug utilization between hospitals, counties, and the five Nordic countries. The medical consequences of these differences are probably small, but they have important economic implications. The marked regional differences in drug utilization argue for better organization of health care, for standardized treatment programs, and for continuing education of doctors.
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Hjort et al. (1984) conducted a review in Hypertension. Antihypertensive drugs was evaluated. Drug utilization of antihypertensive drugs showed marked regional differences across hospitals, counties, and Nordic countries, which likely have small medical but important economic implications.
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