Persistence to Medications for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia/Benign Prostatic Obstruction-Associated Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in the ASL TO4 Regione Piemonte (Italy)

Background: Pharmacological treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)/benign prostatic obstruction (BPO)-associated lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) aims at improving patients’ quality of life by managing urinary symptoms and preventing complications and disease progression. However, continuous use of drugs to treat BPH/BPO-associated LUTS decreases over time. The aim of this retrospective observational study was to describe use of α1-adrenoceptor antagonists (ABs) and steroid 5α-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs) by adult (age ≥ 40 years) men in the ASL TO4, a Local Health Authority in the northern area of the city of Turin (Italy). Methods: Persistence measures were adopted as a robust, informative, and feasible way to understand medication-taking behavior and to assess patient compliance. Results: A total of 4309 men (median age 71 years) were enrolled. Monotherapy was the treatment option prescribed to the largest part of the study population. However, ≥two drugs were prescribed to a substantial proportion of men (23%). Men prescribed alfuzosin or dutasteride had significantly greater persistence, which decreased over time. Conclusions: Unmet needs and areas of intervention for healthcare systems aimed at improving the use of drugs for BHP/BPO-associated LUTS in the ASL TO4 Regione Piemonte were identified

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Use of Antidepressants by Young Adults in the ASL TO4 Regione Piemonte (Italy)

The association between younger age and poorer mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic has been documented. Whether these changes were associated with a change in antidepressant (AD) use is not well understood. This study aimed to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on AD use by young adults in the ASL TO4 Regione Piemonte (Italy). The impact of the pandemic on the weekly prevalence of AD users was assessed using interrupted time-series analysis with autoregressive integrated moving average models. A total of 1071 subjects (18–22 years with ≥1 AD dispensation) were included in the study. The observed prevalence was lower than the predicted value for several weeks after the introduction of the lockdown. However, it was consistently higher than the predicted values from week 134. The maximum difference between observed and predicted values (25 subjects per 10,000 young adults) was found at week 170. Changes in AD use were observed in both genders and were more pronounced for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. In conclusion, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of young adults is likely to be significant in the coming years, which may place a future burden on pharmaceutical public health and community health