The increasing use of antidementia drugs is levelling off in the oldest age group

Background Use of antidementia drugs increased remarkably during the beginning of the 2000’s. Therefore, it is important to monitor the trends and targeting of medicine use.

Methods Data on patients 50+ years purchasing reimbursable antidementia drugs was obtained from the statistical database Kelasto, based on the Finnish Prescription Registry. Numbers of patients, purchases and costs for the years 2008–2020 were used.

Results Use of antidementia drugs almost doubled in ambulatory care during 2008–2020. In recent years, only memantine use has increased. In patients of 90+ years, the use of antidementia drugs increased threefold, but in 2020 the use decreased for the first time during the study period. Despite a marked increase in use, total costs decreased to almost one sixth in 2008. The most expensive drug, rivastigmine, was almost seven times as expensive per prescription as the cheapest donepezil.

Conclusions The increasing use of antidementia drugs in at least 90-year-olds in ambulatory care has levelled off. One possible explanation for the increased use may be increasing use of enhanced service housing instead of institutional care, because at the same time the patients become purchasers of medicines reimbursed by National Health Insurance.

Leena Saastamoinen, Janne Leinonen

Leena Saastamoinen

Ph.D. (Pharm.), Docent, Research Manager

Kela Research