Variation in the pharmaceutical costs of New Zealand general practices: a national database linkage study.

Background: Variation in prescription costs between general practices and within practices over time is poorly understood.

Methods: From New Zealand's national health data collections, we extracted dispensed medicines data for 1045 general practices in 2011 and 917 practices continuously existing 2008-11. Using indirect standardization to account for patient demographics and morbidity, a standardized prescribing cost ratio (SPR: the ratio of actual : expected prescription costs) was calculated for each practice in each year.

Ethnic disparities in asthma treatment and outcomes in children aged under 15 years in New Zealand: analysis of national databases.

Background: Mãori and Pacific children experience poorer outcomes relating to asthma management than other ethnicities.

Aims: To measure recommended treatment and outcomes for asthma in all New Zealand children by age, sex, and ethnic group.

Methods: Children aged <15 years dispensed >2 asthma medicines (N=80,514) were identified from the national pharmaceutical claims database.