(2) Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasis and Other Auto Immune Diseases - Prescribing Patterns and Characteristics of Patients Undergoing Biological Therapy in Portugal (2020)

Sunday, August 28, 2022

8:00 AM – 1:45 PM CEST

Location: Hall C

Publication Number: 1047

Presenting Author(s)

Claudia Furtado, PhD
– Head of Department, INFARMED - National Authority of Medicines and Health Products, I.P., United States

Co-Author(s)

Isabel Tovar
– Market Analyst, INFARMED - National Authority of Medicines and Health Products, I.P., Portugal
Cristina Gaspar
– Market Analyst, INFARMED - National Authority of Medicines and Health Products, I.P., Portugal

Background: In Portuguese Health System patients diagnosed with plaque psoriasis (PP), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PA) and polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (PJIA) can be treated, in public and private care, with biological therapy without any co-payment. These biological medicines are prescribed in specialised consultations that can be taken at both public (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) and private sector. However, they can only be dispensed at public sector facilities. The data related to every act of dispensing these medicines must be sent by NHS’s hospitals to INFARMED, the national medicine agency.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyse the characteristics of patients who were dispensed biological medicines and prescribing patterns in Portugal in 2020.

Methods: Observational, descriptive and retrospective study based on the data shared by all pharmaceutical services of public hospitals and 3 hospitals with public-private partnerships.

Results: The data of the present study refers to a sample of 10,930 patients aged between 2 and 94 years old, of which about 54.7% are female patients and 45.3% are male patients. The age range (years) with the highest prevalence corresponds to [50,60[ (24.1%) and the lowest prevalence to [0,20[ (2.1%). PP is the most diagnosed pathology (32.7%), followed by RA (29.9%), AS (22.0%), PA (12.8%) and PJIA (2.6%). The majority of patients diagnosed with PA, AS and PP are male (53.7%, 50.8% and 60.7%, respectively), while patients diagnosed with RA and PJIA are mostly female (78.3% and 65.1%, respectively). Patients are mostly adults or elderly, with the exception of those diagnosed with PJIA who are mostly younger than 30 years old (84.6%). Adalimumab was the most dispensed medicine to patients with AS (36.1%) and PJIA (41.1%); etanercept to patients with RA (33.7%) and PA (32.0%); ustecinumab to patients with PP (47.6%). Differences in prescribing pattern were observed between private and public sector, in particular in the area of dermatology.

Conclusions: The analysis of this data is of great interest as it allows to visualise the profile of the therapy used to treat patients with PP, RA, AS, PA and PJIA as well as their profile, according to their characteristics.