[Deptropine still prescribed for 0-4 year olds].

OBJECTIVE

To determine to what extent the negative reporting concerning deptropine and its removal from the professional guidelines for asthma in children was followed by changes in the prescription of deptropine to young children and to determine to what extent the alternatives to deptropine were prescribed in the same period.

DESIGN

Retrospective cross-sectional study in 5 calendar years.

METHODS

This study was performed using computerised pharmacy data from the InterAction database of public pharmacies in the northern part of the Netherlands. The percentage of 0-4-year-olds who were prescribed deptropine or one of its alternatives was determined per year from 1994-1999.

RESULTS

In 1994, 14.9% of the 0-4-year-olds used deptropine, and this proportion decreased to 4.8% in 1999. beta 2 adrenergic agonists and glucocorticosteroids, both by inhalation, were used by 2.4% and 1.8%, respectively, of the 0-4-year-olds in 1994, and these proportions were 6.8% and 7.0%, respectively, in 1999.

CONCLUSION

Deptropine was still being prescribed frequently, although there has been a sharp decrease since 1994. beta 2 adrenergic agonists and glucocorticosteroids, both by inhalation, are being prescribed increasingly often.