Pattern of Hypnotic Drug Prescription in South Korea: Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-National Patients Sample

Background and Objective This study aimed to characterize patterns of hypnotic drug prescription based on age and gender using data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-National Patients Sample (HIRA-NPS) of South Korea. Methods Using HIRA-NPS data, the “number of tablets of equivalent hypnotic drugs (TEQ)” was defined herein as the number of tablets of triazolam, zolpidem immediate-release form, or zolpidem extended-release form. Results The proportion of hypnotic medication prescriptions, including triazolam and zolpidem, was 1.47% in the sample population. The proportion was significantly higher among women than men (1.63% vs. 1.29%; p < 0.01). In addition, the proportion of subjects who were prescribed hypnotic drugs increased with age. The mean TEQ per year was significantly higher among women in the 30–39 year old group (p = 0.02), but lower in women of the 70–79 year old group compared to men (p = 0.04). Of the subjects prescribed the drugs, 14.53% were prescribed at least 0.5 TEQ per day, while 5.0% were given at least 1.0 TEQ per day 0.6% at least 2.0 TEQ per day. Such cases were most common among middle-aged patients (30–59 years old). Conclusions The proportion of hypnotic drug prescriptions increased with patient age and in females. However, the total amount of hypnotics prescribed per year was greatest among males and middle-aged patients.