UTILIZATION PATTERNS OF DISEASE-MODIFYING
ANTIRHEUMATIC DRUGS (DMARDS) IN PATIENTS WITH
AUTOIMMUNE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
LAURA-ALEXANDRA ANGHEL 1, DANIEL-CORNELIU LEUCUTA 2*, ANDREEA MARIA FARCAS 3, RADU NICOLAE OPREAN 1
1Analytical Chemistry and Instrumental Analysis, Faculty Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu of
Hatieganu”, 4th Pasteur Street, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
2Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 6th
Louis Pasteur Street, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
3Drug Information Research Centre, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 6th
Louis Pasteur Street, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
*corresponding author: dleucuta@umfcluj.ro
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Abstract:
We conducted a retrospective observational study with the purpose to evaluate disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs
(DMARDs) prescription trends and patterns in real-life setting and determine DMARDs prescriptions costs in Romania. We
used a pharmacy claim database (all prescriptions 2011-2014), and looked at four diseases: rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing
spondylitis (AS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and seven drugs. Out of a total number of
prescriptions (486 700), 5375 (1.1%) were for DMARDs in 1085 patients. Leflunomide was most often prescribed (30.14%),
followed by methotrexate (24.84%), sulfasalazine (18.67%) and hydroxychloroquine (16.10%). 77.2% of all prescriptions were for
monotherapy. 95% of DMARDs prescriptions costs were for RA and PsA prescriptions. Results showed an increase in DMARDs
prescribing trend, with particular variations that was mainly influenced by the temporary absence of methotrexate from the
Romanian market. DMARDs prescriptions costs had a steady increase during the study period.

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