Very Low Frequency of Drug Therapy of Alcohol Dependence in Germany – Analysis of Data of A Statutory Health Insurance

Norbert Scherbaum; Rüdiger Holzbach; Gunnar Stammen; Ute Kirchof; Udo Bonnet

doi:10.1055/a-0896-2757

Pharmacopsychiatry, Inhaltsverzeichnis

Pharmacopsychiatry 2020; 53(01): 37-39
DOI: 10.1055/a-0896-2757

Letter to the Editor

Very Low Frequency of Drug Therapy of Alcohol Dependence in Germany – Analysis of Data of A Statutory Health Insurance

Norbert Scherbaum

¹LVR-Hospital Essen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany

,

Rüdiger Holzbach

²St. Johannis-Hospital, Klinik für Psychiatrie, Klinikum Hochsauerland, Arnsberg, Germany, and Centre of Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (ZIS) of the University of Hamburg

,

Gunnar Stammen

³Krankenhaus Maria Hilf, Warstein, Germany

,

Ute Kirchof

⁴AOK Nordwest, Dortmund, Germany

,

Udo Bonnet

⁵Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatic Medicine, Evangelisches Krankenhaus Castrop-Rauxel, Germany

› Institutsangaben

Abstract

Acamprosate and naltrexone are medications of proven efficacy in the treatment of alcohol dependence. In order to investigate the prescription of these drugs in outpatient routine treatment in Germany (frequency of prescription, duration, medical specialty of prescribing physician), data of a large statutory health insurance were analyzed. Persons were included who were discharged from inpatient treatment with an alcohol-related disorder among their diagnoses during a one year observation period and with no diagnosed additional substance-related disorder (apart from nicotine- and cannabis-related disorders). Thus 12.958 patients were identified (mainly male, 77.9%; at average 51.4 years [+/−12.7] of age). 44.3% of these patients were treated in a psychiatric hospital, the remaining patients in hospitals of other specialties (e. g. 9.2% in departments of surgery). During an observation period of 6 months after discharge, acamprosate or naltrexone were prescribed at least once to 98 persons (0.76% of 12.958 patients; acamprosate n=80, 0.62%; naltrexone n=18, 0.14%). 16 (0.12%) patients were prescribed acamprosate or naltrexone for more than 3 months. Half of the prescriptions were issued by general practitioners. Possible reasons for this under-prescription are lack of knowledge about the drug treatment of alcohol dependence outside of addiction psychiatry, neglect of biological aspects (including medication) regarding etiology and treatment of substance-related disorders, and stigma of patients with substance-related disorders.

Key words

acamprosate - naltrexone - alcohol dependence - treatment guidelines

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Referenzen

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