Reasons for prescription change of α1-blockers in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Objective: To investigate the reasons for prescription change of α1-blockers in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Methods: The ratio and interval of prescription change were assessed in 3200 patients who were eligible for the study and took 1 of 4 different α1-blockers (doxazosin, alfuzosin, tamsulosin, or silodosin). The reasons for prescription change and evaluation of efficacy were analyzed in 444 patients whose medical records were complete.

Results: Prescription change to another α1-blocker occurred in 694 of 3200 patients (21.7%), and the mean duration of taking their first α1-blocker was 10.8 ± 8.2 weeks. Lack of efficacy (52.7%) was the main reason for changing α1-blockers, followed by adverse events (33.1%), relatively high cost compared with other α1-blockers (7.0%), inconvenience of taking drugs (4.1%), and cardiovascular comorbidity (3.2%). The mean duration of treatment according to each reason is as follows: increased adverse events: 6.3 ± 5.2 weeks, relatively high cost compared with other α1-blockers: 8.7 ± 4.5 weeks, cardiovascular comorbidity: 10.5 ± 6.8 weeks, inconvenience of taking drugs: 10.8 ± 3.9 weeks, and lack of efficacy: 14.8 ± 6.8 weeks. The proportion of prescription change (16.3%) and prescription change because of hemodynamic adverse events (2.4%) in the silodosin group were low compared with those in the other groups (P <.05 and P <.006, respectively), but prescription change because of a ejaculation disorder was high in the silodosin group (30.1%, P <.001).

Conclusion: Major reasons for prescription change in patients taking α1-blockers were lack of efficacy and adverse events. In the silodosin group, the proportion of prescription change was significantly low compared with that in the other 3 groups.