Allopurinol Rx more likely with eligibility at diagnosis

(HealthDay)—Allopurinol prescribing is more likely if patients meet eligibility criteria at diagnosis, according to a research brief published in the November/December issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

Lorna E. Clarson, Ph.D., from Keele University in the United Kingdom, and colleagues reviewed electronic medical records for 8,142 patients with gout in order to investigate the effect of age, sex, comorbidities, number of consultations, and meeting internationally agreed eligibility criteria on time to allopurinol initiation.

Initiation of allopurinol was positively associated with meeting eligibility criteria at diagnosis of gout, according to the researchers; however, it was negatively associated with becoming eligible after diagnosis.

"Our findings suggest that more frequent chronic disease reviews to revisit patient preferences and eligibility for allopurinol may reduce barriers to successful treatment of gout," the authors write. "Further research should focus on understanding patient and prescriber preferences in allopurinol prescribing and why patients who become eligible for allopurinol after diagnosis do not receive it."