Affiliation:
1. Faculty of Medicine and Health University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
2. Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology Westmead Hospital Sydney New South Wales Australia
3. Evidencia Medical Communications Pty Ltd Sydney New South Wales Australia
4. Department of Medicine School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University Melbourne Victoria Australia
Abstract
AbstractBackgroundInternational osteoporosis guidelines have recommended treatment approaches based on fracture risk stratification, in particular, anabolic therapy for patients with very high risk (VHR) of fragility fracture.AimTo summarise Australian clinicians' perceptions of patients at VHR of fracture.MethodsAustralian clinicians invited to educational webinars on anabolic treatments for osteoporosis were surveyed in March and April 2021 about a typical patient they had most recently seen and identified as at VHR of fracture.ResultsOf the 268 clinician attendees who were invited to complete the post‐webinar surveys, 67 (25%) responded and permitted the publication of aggregated data. A typical patient perceived to have a VHR of fracture was a woman in her 1980s, living at home, who had been diagnosed with osteoporosis between 5 and 10 years ago, and received treatment for 1–5 years' duration, most commonly denosumab. The patient frequently had a T‐score below −3.0 SD (standard deviation), multiple fragility fractures and most commonly suffered a vertebral fracture in the past 12 months, whereas on an adequate regimen of osteoporosis medication. There was a mismatch between the patient being eligible for anabolic therapy (64.2%) and actually having been prescribed an anabolic treatment in the past (20.9%).ConclusionsAustralian clinicians' perceptions of patients with a VHR of fracture and the use of anabolic agents appear to be heavily influenced by local reimbursement criteria. The mismatch between patients deemed eligible for reimbursed anabolic therapy and those prescribed an anabolic agent suggests treatment inertia.