Pressure Builds to Rein in Overprescribing of Antibiotics for the Treatment of Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Bronchitis
WALTHAM, Mass. -- Decision Resources, Inc., one of
the world's leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and
health care issues, finds that pressure from expert panels, payers, and public
health officials to reduce antibiotic overprescribing will limit growth of the
acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB) drug market over the next
decade.
"AECB is currently overtreated with antibiotics, and experts suggest that
a subset of patients with minor symptoms probably do not require antibiotic
therapy," said Aarti Raja, PhD, an analyst at Decision Resources. "However,
because AECB patients often have multiple other medical problems, primary care
physicians tend to err on the side of caution and prescribe antibiotics-often
the 'latest and greatest'."
The new Pharmacor study, titled Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Bronchitis,
also finds that physicians are caught between a need to limit overprescribing
and a need to deal with increasing antibiotic resistance among respiratory
pathogens in the major pharmaceutical markets (United States, Germany, France,
Italy, Spain, Japan, and the United Kingdom). So far, attempts by managed care
organizations, insurers, and national health systems to contain the cost of
treating AECB have been thwarted in part by these new generations of resistant
bacteria.
During an acute exacerbation, breathing becomes much more difficult
because of further narrowing of the airways and secretion of large amounts of
mucus that is often thicker than usual. An acute exacerbation of chronic
bronchitis is associated with increased frequency and severity of coughing,
and is often accompanied by worsened chest congestion and discomfort.
Source: Decision Resources, Inc.
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