Release of analysis by region and comprehensive update of the first two months of 2021
The Italian Medicines Agency makes available the regional detail on the use of drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic through which it is possible to analyze the consumption trend of the drugs used for COVID-19, of injecting drugs and for hospital use as well as of those purchased in local pharmacies. These data refer to 2020 and are comparable with the 2019 trend. For purchases by NHS structures, the data relating to the first two months of 2021 are already available.
The accessibility of all these data confirms AIFA's objective of encouraging the appropriate and homogeneous use of drugs throughout the national territory.
From the monthly and regional monitoring it emerges that:
- The consumption of low molecular weight heparins at local level, first-line drugs for the anti COVID-19 therapy, increased by more than 19% in almost all Italian regions in the quarter October-December 2020 compared to the same quarter of 2019;
- although AIFA has never approved its use for COVID-19, azithromycin continues to record significant increases both at the territorial and hospital level, especially in Campania (+ 250%) and Lazio (+ 300%);
- despite the great pressure on hospitals, hospital purchases of oncological and immunosuppressive drugs in 2020 are stable compared to the previous year in all regions, even in those most burdened by the emergency;
- among non-specific drugs for COVID-19, compared to 2019 there was a generalized increase in injective cardiac stimulants used in intensive and subintensive therapies (+ 127%). In particular, the first two months of 2021 recorded a higher increase compared to 2020 for the regions of Molise, Basilicata, Piedmont and Emilia Romagna;
- in 2020 there was an increase in anxiolytic drugs (+ 12%) especially in the central regions, Marche (+ 68%) and Umbria (+ 73%). In general, the so-called phase 2 of the epidemic has seen an increase in the purchase of anxiolytics to a greater extent than the increase already observed during the first phase.
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, in order to allow regional comparison, as well as timely and timely monitoring of the use of drugs in Italy.