Prescribing of drugs for the treatment of migraine with specific emphasis on sumatriptan

Abstract

Migraine affects between 5-15% of males and 13,5-31% of females in South Africa. Little is known about the prescribing patterns of anti-migraine drugs in South Africa. The aim of the study was to investigate the prescribing of drugs for the treatment of migraine (ATC Group NO2C), with specific emphasis on sumatriptan, in a primary care patient population in South Africa, making use of a computerised prescription database. A total of 3 011 products for the treatment of migraine at a cost of R451 559 were prescribed to 578 patients in the study over a period of one year (1996) since sumatriptan was the only triptan available in South Africa in 1996. The average age of patients was 48,40 (SD = 14,19) years, with 74,57% of patients between 20 and 59 years of age. Approximately 80% of patients were females. Female patients were prescribed 81,53% of the products. Most drugs (67,55%) were for the prophylaxis of migraine, of which clonidine and flunarizine were the most frequently prescribed. Of the drugs prescribed specifically for the management of migraine, sumatriptan (575 prescriptions to 103 patients) was the most frequently prescribed, followed by 400 prescriptions for ergotamine. Tablets were the preferred dosage form. Since migraine affects primarily the economically active sector of the community and its treatment is relatively expensive, pharmacists have an important role to play in managing and counselling migraine sufferers.