PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Sheryl Spithoff
AU  - Suzanne Turner
AU  - Tara Gomes
AU  - Diana Martins
AU  - Samantha Singh
TI  - First-line medications for alcohol use disorders among public drug plan beneficiaries in Ontario
DP  - 2017 May 01
TA  - Canadian Family Physician
PG  - e277--e283
VI  - 63
IP  - 5
4099  - http://www.cfp.ca/content/63/5/e277.short
4100  - http://www.cfp.ca/content/63/5/e277.full
SO  - Can Fam Physician2017 May 01; 63
AB  - Objective To examine use of first-line alcohol use disorder (AUD) medications (naltrexone and acamprosate) among public drug plan beneficiaries in the year following an AUD diagnosis.Design Retrospective population-based cohort study.Setting Ontario.Participants Individuals eligible for public drug plan benefits who had an AUD diagnosis at a hospital visit between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2012.Main outcome measures Number of AUD medications dispensed to public drug plan beneficiaries who had a recent hospital visit with an AUD diagnosis, and number of prescriptions dispensed per person.Results A total of 10 394 Ontarians between 18 and 65 years of age were identified who had a hospital visit with an AUD diagnosis and were eligible for public drug plan benefits. The rate of AUD medications dispensed in the subsequent year was 3.56 per 1000 population (95% CI 2.51 to 4.91; n = 37). This rate did not differ significantly by sex (P = .83).Conclusion Very few public drug plan beneficiaries are dispensed first-line AUD medications in the year following an AUD diagnosis.