ArticleSaudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society2023
The impact of a restricted pregabalin prescription policy on drug utilization: An observational multicenter study.
Article in Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.
- How the Reclassification of Gabapentinoids Reshaped Neuropathic Pain Treatment in Saudi Arabia: A Survey of Healthcare Professionals.Pain and therapy · 2026Article
- Impact of secured prescription implementation on ambulatory pregabalin use in France: A regional assessment in the French Nouvelle-Aquitaine.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2026Article
- Addressing Gabapentinoids' Access Challenges in Saudi Arabia Under New Prescription Regulations: An Expert View.Pain and therapy · 2025Review
- Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) classified pregabalin as a controlled substance in 2018; however, whether this policy change has affected pregabalin use is unclear. This study examined the trends in pregabalin prescriptions before and after the SFDA restriction. In addition, the co-prescription of controlled analgesics and the use of pregabalin for approved indications were also evaluated. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on outpatient pregabalin prescriptions from three healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia. Interrupted time series analysis was used to assess changes over time in pregabalin prescriptions and the number of patients receiving pregabalin. June 2016 to June 2017 was identified as the pre-restriction period, and July 2018 to July 2019 as the post-restriction period. Results: In this study, 77,760 pregabalin prescriptions were identified. There were 9,076 patients on pregabalin in the pre-restriction period with 16,875 prescriptions, compared with 7,123 patients and 19,484 prescriptions post-restriction. The total number of pregabalin users decreased by 21.5% post-restriction, and prescriptions increased by 15.5%. There was no significant change in the monthly trends in pregabalin prescriptions before and after the restriction. However, the of tramadol and acetaminophen/codeine prescriptions in patients who were using pregabalin increased in the post-restriction period by 21% and 16.1%, respectively. Conclusion: Pregabalin use was reduced after the SFDA-enforced prescription restriction was implemented. This was accompanied by increased narcotics use in the post-implementation phase.
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