Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37069852›Full record

ArticleThe Lancet regional health. Europe2023

Trends in gabapentinoid prescribing in UK primary care using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink: an observational study.

Julie Ashworth, Ram Bajpai, Sara Muller, James Bailey, Toby Helliwell, Sarah A Harrisson, Rebecca Whittle, Christian D Mallen

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Lancet regional health. Europe, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
29citing papers in PubMed
12.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

29 citing papers in PubMed, 44 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Julie AshworthSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
Ram BajpaiSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
Sara MullerSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
James BaileySchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
Toby HelliwellSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
Sarah A HarrissonSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
Rebecca WhittleSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
Christian D MallenSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
Keele University · GBMidlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The UK government reclassified gabapentin and pregabalin as 'controlled drugs' from April 2019. This study aimed to describe the trends in gabapentinoid prescribing before and immediately after reclassification, in the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, an electronic primary care health record broadly representative of the UK. Methods: Separately for gabapentin and pregabalin, we calculated annual incident and prevalent prescribing rates from year of UK approval (April 1997 and 2004 respectively) to September 2019, and monthly incident and prevalent prescribing rates (October 2017-September 2019). Significant changes in temporal trends were determined using joinpoint regression. We also described potential prescribing indications, prior pain-related prescribing, and co-prescribing with potentially interacting medicines. Findings: Incident gabapentin prescribing increased annually, peaking in 2016-17, at 625/100,000 patient years before falling steadily to 2019. Incident pregabalin prescribing peaked at 329/100,000 patient years in 2017-18 and did not fall significantly until 2019. Prevalent gabapentin and pregabalin prescribing increased annually to 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively, before plateauing. Gabapentinoids were commonly co-prescribed with opioids (60%), antidepressants (52%), benzodiazepines (19%), and Z-drugs (10%). Interpretation: Following a dramatic rise, incident gabapentinoid prescribing has started to fall but the specific impact of reclassification on prescribing rates remains unclear. Limited change in prevalent gabapentinoid prescribing during the 6 months following their reclassification as controlled drugs suggests little immediate impact on continued gabapentinoid prescribing for existing users. Funding: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit Programme. NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West Midlands. NIHR School for Primary Care Research.

Indexed as

GabapentinGabapentinoidsPharmacoepidemiologyPregabalinPrescriptionsPrimary care

Identifiers

PMID37069852
PMCPMC10105252
OpenAlexW4320181401

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.