Trends in the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug market in six Central-Eastern European countries based on retail information

Purpose The objective of this study was to evaluate the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug market of six Central and Eastern European countries. Trends and similarities were compared across the examined countries. Methods The Intercontinental Marketing Service Health database was used to determine consumption data between the years 2000 and 2007. We applied the anatomical therapeutical chemical-defined daily dose method, focussing on three major non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug groups: conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, 'stronger cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors' (all together as: non-cyclooxygenase 2 selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and selective cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors. The main outcome measure was defined daily dose/1000 inhabitants/day. Different active agents have been distinguished between the three major groups. Results In total the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug group reached a 42.82-74.17 defined daily dose/1000 inhabitants/day volume in 2007, with an average total increase of 25.1% between 2002 and 2007. In the conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug group, diclofenac and ibuprofen have attained the highest consumption. Our results show a notable increase (325%, 2002-2007) of the 'stronger cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor group' (nimesulide and meloxicam). Trends of selective cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor volumes differ within the observed countries. Conclusion Differences in the six countries concerning their NSAID consumption and market trends could not be explained with the inequalities in patient characteristics. The conventional NSAID retail gave the majority of the total NSAID market. The consumption of selective COX2 inhibitors in all of the six countries were much lower than in the US or Australia. The NSAID risk profile in the region is comparable to previous studies in other countries. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.