Conclusions All interventions produced positive effects on BMD scanning and osteoporosis treatment rates post-fracture .
Despite sizeable increases , investigation and treatment rates remain sub-optimal .
Background There is a large quality of care gap for patients with osteoporosis .
As a fragility fracture is a strong indicator of underlying osteoporosis , it offers an ideal opportunity to initiate investigation and treatment .
However , studies of post-fracture population s document screening and treatment rates below 20 % in most setting s. This is despite the fact that bone mineral density ( BMD ) scans are effective at identifying patients at high risk of fracture , and effective drug treatments are widely available .
Effective interventions are required to remedy this incongruity in current practice .
Prescribing by general practitioners after an osteoporotic fracture
OBJECTIVES Osteoporosis is a major cause of morbidity and cost . Patients sustaining one osteoporotic fracture are at increased risk of having another fracture . The objective of this study was to examine the use of “ bone drugs ” for the prevention of further osteoporotic fractures among patients who have had a “ typical ” osteoporotic fracture . METHODS This study took a r and om sample of 300 women aged 50 and over who had sustained either a vertebral , hip or Colles fracture in 1995 from the General Practice Research Data base ( GPRD ) and compared their use of bone drugs with 300 age and practice matched controls . RESULTS Compared with age and practice matched control patients only vertebral fracture patients showed a statistically significant increase in the use of bone drugs in the year after fracture ( 39 % and 2 % for cases and controls respectively ; 95 % CI of difference 27 % to 47 % ) . Etidronate was the most commonly used compound . CONCLUSION The majority of patients sustaining an osteoporotic fracture are not prescribed any pharmaceutical agents for the secondary prevention of fracture one year after a primary fracture
Conclusions All interventions produced positive effects on BMD scanning and osteoporosis treatment rates post-fracture .
Despite sizeable increases , investigation and treatment rates remain sub-optimal .
Background There is a large quality of care gap for patients with osteoporosis .
As a fragility fracture is a strong indicator of underlying osteoporosis , it offers an ideal opportunity to initiate investigation and treatment .
However , studies of post-fracture population s document screening and treatment rates below 20 % in most setting s. This is despite the fact that bone mineral density ( BMD ) scans are effective at identifying patients at high risk of fracture , and effective drug treatments are widely available .
Effective interventions are required to remedy this incongruity in current practice .