Considerable paediatric drug dispensing – A nationwide study of more than 2 million Swedish children

Abstract

AbstractAimThe aim of the nationwide study was to describe paediatric drug utilisation in Sweden.MethodsDrug prescriptions dispensed to all children aged 0–17 years in 2019 were analysed using data from the Swedish National Prescribed Drug Register.ResultsWe retrieved data on 2 180 508 unique children. Nearly 4.6 million prescriptions were dispensed to children aged 0–17 years, and 52% of these were to boys. Just under half of the children (47%) were dispensed at least one drug: 48% of girls and 45% of boys (p < 0.01). More than a third (34%) were dispensed three or more different drugs during 2019. The number of dispensed prescriptions per 1000 children was higher in boys than girls up to 12 years of age (p < 0.01), and the opposite trend was observed from 13 years and above, even when we excluded contraceptives (p < 0.01). The most common therapeutic areas were drugs for the respiratory tract (25%), namely antihistamines, antiasthmatics and cough medication. These were followed by psychoanaleptics and melatonin for the nervous system (19%) and dermatologicals (16%), namely cortisone creams and emollients.ConclusionPaediatric drug use was common, and a considerable proportion of children were dispensed multiple drugs.