Prescriptions for mesalazine and sulphasalazine: a prevalence estimate of patients treated for inflammatory bowel disease in Rome

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Abstract
Background: Sulphasalazine and 5‐amino salicyclic acid drugs are specifically indicated for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Aim: To use drug consumption by a given population as a marker to estimate the number of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Methods: Prescriptions for sulphasalazine and mesalazine were identified for the 133000 inhabitants of a local health unit in Rome. Other prescriptions received by the patients, who were users of sulphasalazine or mesalazine, were also studied. Results: 99465 patients received at least one prescription for any drug in 1991. Three hundred and seventy‐six patients were prescribed sulphasalazine and/or mesalazine, an average of 3.8 prescriptions per patient. These patients were exposed more frequently than the general population to other drugs often used in inflammatory bowel disease treatment, for example, corticosteroids, anti‐diarrhoeal drugs and intestinal anti‐infectives. We identified that 258 of 100000 inhabitants were prescribed either sulphasalazine or mesalazine; 127 of 100000 inhabitants received full‐dose treatment for at least 30 days, and 42.8 of 100000 inhabitants received prescriptions of either drug, also associated with systemic corticosteroids. Conclusion: The consumption of drugs used specifically for inflammatory bowel disease may act as a marker for the prevalence of the condition in a community.

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