[Use of healthcare services by elderly people in a local health authority in Varese (Italy)].

Older people use more healthcare than younger people and aging of the population is considered to be one of the main factors leading to consumption of healthcare resources. The aim of this study was to evaluate rates of hospitalization, use of out-patient services and medicine confections among the elderly population (>65 years) in the local health authority of Varese (Italy), in the three-year period from 2003-2005, and to calculate the trend for the years 2006 and 2007. Rates of hospitalization and drug use remained stable while use of out-patient services showed an increasing trend.

Drug prescribing patterns in Parkinson's disease: a pharmacoepidemiological survey in a cohort of ambulatory patients.

Purpose: Drug treatment of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) is a difficult task, and comorbidity and comedication add to its complexity. Since in IPD there is little information about drug use, this study investigated drug prescribing and indications in IPD patients.

Methods: From June 1997 to April 1998, a cross-sectional survey of IPD outpatients was performed and demographic and clinical data and information about drug treatments was collected and analysed.