Inequalities in access to biological treatments for psoriasis: results from the Italian Psocare registry.

BACKGROUND

Limited evidence is available on the impact of socioeconomic factors on drug prescriptions for psoriasis.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate factors influencing prescription of conventional vs. biological treatment for patients with psoriasis, based on the Italian Psocare registry, with a special focus on socioeconomic factors.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study evaluating the baseline data of patients included in the Psocare registry. All of the consecutive adult patients with a diagnosis of chronic plaque psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis who were prescribed a systemic treatment for psoriasis at participating centres were included in this study. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the baseline factors associated with a biologics prescription were performed.

RESULTS

From September 2005 to September 2009, 12 838 patients were identified. A multivariate analysis revealed that, among other factors, completing a level of education higher than lower secondary school and being employed as a manager or a professional were independent factors associated with a biologics prescription at entry in the registry. Additional analyses on the association between these two variables and a severe psoriasis condition [Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score > 20] revealed a significantly increasing trend of severe disease towards lower educational attainment, while unemployed patients were more likely to have a more severe condition compared with the other categories of workers.

CONCLUSIONS

We documented inequalities of drug prescriptions for psoriasis in Italy, with a trend towards a higher frequency of prescription for more expensive biologics in higher socioeconomic sectors of the population.