Changes in utilisation of hormone replacement therapy in Australia following publication of the findings of the Women's Health Initiative.

PURPOSE

To examine the impact of publication of the findings of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) on the utilisation of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in Australia with particular reference to the influence that media may have had on prescriber and consumer behaviour.

METHODS

Retrospective data from the Australian Government Department of Health, Ageing DUSC Database and media hits from Factiva were reviewed to obtain prescription numbers, total cost and cost to the pharmaceutical benefits scheme and number of media hits from the year before publication of the combined HRT arm of the WHI.

RESULTS

Prescribing of HRT products decreased significantly immediately following publication of the combined HRT arm of the WHI and continued to decline at a slower rate following publication of the memory and oestrogen only arms of the study.

CONCLUSIONS

These results represent a more accurate national estimate of the change in HRT use in Australian women relative to previous findings from surveys carried out in Australia.