GD — Society for Dermopharmacy

Issue 1 (2004)

Book Review
U. Schwabe, D. Paffrath (Editors)
Arzneiverordnungs-Report 2003 (Drug Prescription Report)
Current data, costs, trends and comments

Springer Verlag, Berlin 2004.
1152 pages with 67 illustrations and 282
tables. Paper-bound, 29,95 Euro.

The pharmaceutical market and here in particular also the market for dermatics is subject to an ever faster change in the last decade. Whoever - and this applies to the majority outside of the pharmaceutical industry – has no access to the IMS-Verordnungsdaten (IMS-prescription data) is referred to the prescription data from the legal health insurance. This data is made accessible to the expert public annually by Ulrich Schwabe and Dieter Paffrath in the form of the Arzneiverordnungs-Report (Drug Prescription Report).

The basis of the present Arzneiverordnungs-Report (Drug Prescription Report) is - in contrast to previous years - not only a representative random sample but a complete compilation of all panel prescriptions. Moreover, the focus has been extended to the 3,000 most frequently prescribed pharmaceuticals. Besides the aforementioned data a detailed comment dealing with the prescription behaviour against the background of scientific literature is again provided.

In continuation of a long-lasting trend as to the prescription counts of dermatics and wound healing products, a renewed decline can be determined. Nevertheless, the use of corticosteroid-containing dermatics, keratoplastics and so-called „other“ dermatics on basis of the prescribed daily doses (DDD) have increased. Declining are in contrast topical “anti-phlogistics” and “anti-pruriginosa”. Against general expectation as concerns the prescription frequency of individual ready-to-use pharmaceuticals, a PVP iodine-containing preparation – respectively the corresponding product range with 1.213 million prescriptions - is in the fore followed by prednicarbate and fusidine acid-containing products with 1.159 respectively 1.091 million prescriptions.

Among the first ten leading preparations for topical application are four glucocorticoid-preparations, thereof three original supplier-products containing innovative active agents, i. e. prednicarbate, mometasone furoate and 6-methyl prednisolone aceponate as well as a generic on basis of beta methasone valerate. Therewith the concept concerning the topical glucocorticoids with improved benefit-risk relation is today considered in prescription frequency on a large-scale.

Nevertheless, it cannot be disregarded that the preference of generics due to price aspects is beneficial for traditional glucocorticoids. Thus the mentioned beta methasone valerate-containing product experiences the most important increase with 18.2 percent among the ten leading preparations for topical application.

The fact that at least six most frequently prescribed products may consistently be considered as evidence-based, emphasizes the competence of physicians when selecting dermatics. Compared with topical dermatics systemically ones are prescribed more scarcely. As to prescription frequency there is still the original supplier product with Isotretinoine in the lead (130,000 prescriptions) while, according to costs, the fumar acid ester-containing preparation has caught up meanwhile.

In the second half of the reporting period the first topical immunomodulator Tacrolimus has also been introduced. This preparation with position 1,876 in prescription frequency – at least according to value – could attain a considerable position within only a few months. High percentage increases in prescription frequency in comparison with last year are to be found in general with newly introduced products. In this context a gammalinolene acid-containing product, metronidazole-containing and Diclofenac/hyalurone acid-containing preparation is to be mentioned with increases of 406, 365 respectively 171 percent.

Concluding, it has to be established that the Arzneiverordnungs Report 2003 (Drug Prescription Report) is part of the indispensable lecture for experts in the field of dermopharmacy again.

Prof. Dr. med. H. C. Korting, München

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