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Toilet Paper, Minced Meat and Diabetes Medicines: Australian Panic Buying Induced by COVID-19
- Source :
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Volume 18, Issue 13, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol 18, Iss 6954, p 6954 (2021)
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- MDPI AG, 2021.
-
Abstract
- The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the management of non-communicable diseases in health systems around the world. This study aimed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on diabetes medicines dispensed in Australia. Publicly available data from Australia’s government subsidised medicines program (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme), detailing prescriptions by month dispensed to patients, drug item code and patient category, was obtained from January 2016 to November 2020. This study focused on medicines used in diabetes care (Anatomical Therapeutical Chemical code level 2 = A10). Number of prescriptions dispensed were plotted by month at a total level, by insulins and non-insulins, and by patient category (general, concessional). Total number of prescriptions dispensed between January and November of each year were compared. A peak in prescriptions dispensed in March 2020 was identified, an increase of 35% on March 2019, compared to average growth of 7.2% in previous years. Prescriptions dispensed subsequently fell in April and May 2020 to levels below the corresponding months in 2019. These trends were observed across insulins, non-insulins, general and concessional patient categories. The peak and subsequent dip in demand have resulted in a small unexpected overall increase for the period January to November 2020, compared to declining growth for the same months in prior years. The observed change in consumer behaviour prompted by COVID-19 and the resulting public health measures is important to understand in order to improve management of medicines supply during potential future waves of COVID-19 and other pandemics.
- Subjects :
- medicine.medical_specialty
Meat
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
030209 endocrinology & metabolism
Panic buying
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
Article
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
health behaviour
Diabetes mellitus
Environmental health
Pandemic
Diabetes Mellitus
medicine
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
Medical prescription
Pandemics
routinely collected health data
diabetes
SARS-CoV-2
business.industry
Public health
Australia
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Health services research
COVID-19
Consumer Behavior
medicine.disease
health services research
Bathroom Equipment
Medicine
business
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 16604601
- Volume :
- 18
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....9a3654b91ee6b1f8def2f97992957ad6