Retrospective cohort study quantifies prescription switching behaviors among adults with hypertension and diabetes, indicating notable variation by physician practice and drug types.
Key Points
Up to 17.06% of drug therapy courses included at least one instance of prescription switching.
Switching rates varied significantly by physician practice setting, with public health centers at 26% and tertiary hospitals at 15%.
In this cohort study using national health insurance data, patient age and gender did not significantly influence switching behaviors.
The large variability in switching among multi-source drugs highlights the need for improved pharmacy benefit policies.