Social Crises and Their Impact on Medicine Consumption

This register-based study investigates the trends in prescribing medicines, medicine consumption in outpatient care, and medicine prices, costs, and paid reimbursements during the COVID-19 epidemic in Finland. In addition, the study generates constant overview data to support with national decision-making and monitoring of the epidemic. The study period for medicine consumption is 2017–2022, and the focus is on antimicrobials, insulins, and medicines used for treating mental health problems.

Research data on medicine use and pharmacotherapies produced in this project can be used in the impact assessment and monitoring of the ongoing pandemic as well as when discussing treatment backlog, which becomes more and more important as the pandemic continues. In addition, the results can be used in preparing for future pandemics and other social crises as well as to support the conversation around security of supply in Finland.

Researchers

• Heini Kari, Leading Researcher
• Pekka Heino
• Hanna Koskinen
• Fredriikka Nurminen
• Hanna Rättö
• Leena Saastamoinen

Project Implementation Period

27.4.2020–31.12.2024. The project has ended.

Project Results 

This research project examined the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the prescription and consumption of different groups of medicines in Finland. The Covid-19 pandemic was found to have significantly reduced the prescription of antibiotics, especially among children. The largest decrease was observed in the prescription of azithromycin, amoxicillin and doxycycline. The study also showed that more antibiotics were prescribed in the private healthcare sector than in the public sector for the first time in history in autumn 2021. Insofar as insulin therapy was concerned, the study found that insulin therapy was initiated 6% less frequently in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic (i.e. 2020) compared to 2019. This decrease was larger than expected, although the occurrence of new insulin therapy initiations were already on a slight decrease before the pandemic. The study also examined the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the take-up of mental health medication among adolescents and young adults during the years of the pandemic. The results indicate that the use of psychotropic medicines (especially antidepressants) increased after the Covid-19 pandemic, especially among women and young adults. 

Publications

• Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing During the First Two Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Register-Based Time Series Analysis
• The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Psychotropic Medication Initiation Among Adolescents and Young Adults – a Time Series Analysis (ISPOR EUROPE 2024)

Blog Entries

• Kari H, Koskinen H, Rättö H, Saastamoinen L. Lasten antibioottien määrääminen yksityisellä ja julkisella sektorilla – vaikuttiko koronapandemia? Kelan tutkimusblogi 2022.
• Rättö H, Kurko T. Insuliinihoitojen aloitus väheni koronavuonna 2020. Kelan tutkimusblogi 2.6.2022.