@article {Jacobsen943, author = {Ramune Jacobsen and Ola Ekholm and Niels K Rasmussen and Ebba Holme Hansen and Anne Fr{\o}lich}, title = {Socioeconomic Variations in Use of Prescription Medicines for COPD: A Register-Based Study}, volume = {61}, number = {7}, pages = {943--949}, year = {2016}, doi = {10.4187/respcare.04335}, publisher = {Respiratory Care}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine socioeconomic variations in the use of prescription medicines among elderly subjects with COPD.METHODS: Data from the Danish national administrative registers were used. The study population included 1,365 individuals \>60 y old residing in the Municipality of Copenhagen and diagnosed with COPD in a hospital setting in 2007. Logistic regression analysis was applied to examine the associations between the use of all prescription medicines for obstructive pulmonary diseases and the use of long-acting bronchodilators, in subject groups of different socioeconomic position.RESULTS: The study demonstrated that approximately 90\% of subjects with COPD purchased at least one prescription medicine for obstructive pulmonary diseases, whereas approximately 50\% purchased a long-acting bronchodilator. Medicine use did not vary according to educational status or personal wealth.CONCLUSIONS: There were no systematic socioeconomic differences in the use of relevant prescription medicines in elderly subjects diagnosed with COPD in hospital settings in Copenhagen. However, our findings indicate a gap between guideline recommendations and observed use of long-acting bronchodilators and hence suboptimal quality of treatment in the elderly COPD population.}, issn = {0020-1324}, URL = {https://rc.rcjournal.com/content/61/7/943}, eprint = {https://rc.rcjournal.com/content/61/7/943.full.pdf}, journal = {Respiratory Care} }