Pharmacoepidemiology of headache treatment before and after referral to a specialist centre

We have analysed the differences in headache treatment between 612 subjects admitted for the first visit (“naive”) (F/M: 2.41; mean age = 37. 31 + 14.09 years) and 620 subjects who returned to the Headache Centre of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia for a control visit (F/M: 3.18; mean age = 44. 30 + 15.37 years). Most patients suffered from migraine. As acute treatment, on the first visit 49.35% of them was taking drugs prescribed by a doctor; 41.50% was taking OTCs; 9.15% was not taking any drug. On the control visit, 81.29% of patients was taking prescription drugs; 15.81% OTCs; 2.90% was not taking drugs (overall Chi-square = 139.229, p<0.001). Non-selective analgesics were the most used drugs. Triptans were used by 9.1% of “naive” patients and by 31.8 % of patients attending the control visit (Fisher’s Z = 7.655, p <0.001). Nimesulide was the most used drug. A prophylactic treatment was made by 16.83% of “naive” patients, and by 58.23 % of patients admitted for the control visit (Fisher’s Z = 12.135, p