Trends in medicine utilisation in public and private healthcare facilities before and during COVID-19: a nationwide analysis of medicine procurement and sales data, 2018-2022.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There was a fluctuation in medication demand and supply during COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess the trend of drug utilisation in Malaysia in 2018-2022 and evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on drug utilisation rates.

Methods

We conducted a repeated cross-sectional study of pharmaceutical sales data from public and private sectors in Malaysia from 2018 to 2022. Drug utilisation rates for the period after the onset of COVID-19 (2020-2022) was compared with the earlier period (2018-2019). Interrupted time-series regression analyses evaluated level and slope changes compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic level for quarterly rates of drugs utilisation in public and private sectors.

Results

There was an immediate reduction in the utilisation rates for all dr

SUBMITTER: Ab Rahman N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11425687 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature