Persistence to oral 5-aminosalicylate therapy for inflammatory bowel disease in Australia. (March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Selinger, Christian P; Kemp, Andrew; Leong, Rupert WL
• Is Part Of: Expert review of gastroenterology & hepatology. Volume 8:Number 3(2014)
• Page Start: 329
• Page End: 334
• Publication Date: 2014-03
• Subjects: Gastroenterology -- Periodicals; Liver -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 616.3
• DOI: 10.1586/17474124.2014.882768
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1747-4124

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>Aminosalicylate (5-ASA) is effective treatment for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) but requires continuous maintenance therapy. This study determines persistence of 5-ASA in IBD using national population-based data for Australia from 2002 to 2011 with follow up for 36 months. Non-persistence was defined as failing to fill a prescription for 3 months. Of 12, 592 patients those initiated on non-sulphasalazine 5-ASA (2917) had significantly higher persistence (P &lt; 0.001) than those on sulphasalazine (9675). Persistence for sulphasalazine and non-sulphasalazine 5-ASA initiation was 22.3% and 28.5% at 12-months, and 11.9% and 16.2% at 24-months. Sulphasalazine poor persistence continued despite intra-class switch to another 5-ASA. Patients receiving immunomodulator co-therapy had higher persistence (P &lt; 0.001). National population-based data identified persistence to 5-ASA to be low but significantly lower when sulphasalazine is the initial drug. Physicians should stress the importance of long-term 5-ASA therapy as overall drug efficacy especially the 5-ASA chemo-prophylactic benefits may be reduced by non-persistence.</p> </abstract>