From monitoring the purchase of drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic - available on the AIFA website - it is possible to analyze the consumption trend of medicines for COVID-19, of injecting and hospital-use drugs and of those purchased in local pharmacies, also in comparison with the previous year (2019).
The monitoring, which will be updated on a monthly basis, reveals that:
- Consumption of heparin and glucocortisones - first-line drugs for the anti-COVID-19 therapy - increased, as expected, in 2020 compared to 2019, both among hospital purchases and those at local pharmacies;
- starting from April 2020, the consumption of antivirals that were less effective against COVID-19, and therefore no longer recommended by AIFA for this use, decreased (Lopinavir / ritonavir, Darunavir / cobicistat, colchicine and hydrochlorine quine);
- during 2020 there is a growth in the purchases of azithromycin although AIFA has not approved its use for COVID-19;
- among non-specific drugs for COVID-19, an increase in general anesthetics and injective cardiac stimulants (both used in intensive and subintensive care) is highlighted in the hospital setting compared to 2019;
- hospital purchases of intravenous oncology drugs in 2019 decreased and were partially offset by the growth in subcutaneous and oral drugs;
- among drugs purchased in local pharmacies, the consumption of anxiolytics increased compared to 2019, while that of NSAIDs decreased;
- Erectile dysfunction drugs and emergency contraceptives showed a significant reduction in use during the lockdown period (March / May 2020).
The information represented in the graphs, coming from the NSIS flow of drug traceability, is expressed in terms of packages per 10.000 inhabitants per day and allows a timely and punctual monitoring of the use of drugs in Italy. The accessibility of all these data confirms AIFA's objective of encouraging the appropriate and homogeneous use of drugs throughout the national territory.