[Effectiveness of an intervention strategy in the biosimilar glargine prescription pattern in primary care].

Objectives: To examine the effects of specific interventions on biosimilar glargine insulin (BGI) prescribing in general practices and to analyse the influence of prescriber and economic impact.

Design: Non randomized controlled study.

Setting: General practices in 2 health areas of Seville, intervention and control group.

Participants: 220 general practices (intervention group) and 100 general practices (control group).

Intervention: Intervention group received educational seminars on biosimilar drugs, pharmacotherapeutic bulletin and prescribing feedback. The study was carried out from the biosimilar commercialization, October-2015, to February-2016 (pre-intervention) and from February to August 2016 (intervention).

Main Measurements: Percentage of patients and DDD with BGI respect to total glargine before and during intervention for both areas were analysed. Physicians have been analysed by subgroups of age, sex, training, type of contract, years of experience and quota.

Main Results: Both indicators for intervention group were significantly greater than for control group (P<.0005), with a 95% confidence interval (2.5-4.7). The ratio of the percentage of cumulative increase of both variables between areas was 3.73 times higher after the intervention. No differences were found for the evaluated categories of physicians in the intervention group.

Conclusions: Intervention strategies aimed at training and information, as well as monitoring health professionals, influence the pattern of prescription and can have an economic impact. Our results have not been influenced by the profile of the prescriber.