Stepping down PPIs Practice Review figure descriptions
Figure 1: How has your prescribing of PPIs changed over time?
This bar graph shows the number of prescriptions of PPI medicines that this GP wrote and that were dispensed, as a rate per 1000 Medicare consultations. Number of prescriptions per 1000 Medicare consultations is shown on the y-axis, and ranges from 0 to 350, increasing in 50 unit increments. The calendar years 2015, 2016 and 2017 are shown on the x-axis.
Data for two bar graphs are displayed in each calendar year, where the left bar represents the rate of PPI prescriptions per 1000 Medicare consultations for the individual GP, and the right bar represents the rate of PPI prescriptions per 1000 Medicare consultations for the median of GPs in the corresponding remoteness area (RA).
Data for the 75th and 25th percentiles in the GP’s RA are displayed as triangles in each calendar year.
Beginning at the leftmost bar in the graph:
The first and second bars represent data for calendar year 2015. In 2015:
- 240 PPI prescriptions were written by that GP and were dispensed, per 1000 Medicare consultations
- 107 is the median number of PPI prescriptions per 1000 Medicare consultations written by GPs in the corresponding RA
- the 75th percentile in the RA is 181 PPI prescriptions dispensed per 1000 Medicare consultations, and 25th percentile is 57.
The third and fourth bars represent data for calendar year 2016. In 2016:
- 238 PPI prescriptions were written by that GP and were dispensed, per 1000 Medicare consultations
- 105 is the median number of PPI prescriptions per 1000 Medicare consultations written by GPs in the corresponding RA
- the 75th percentile in the RA is 181 PPI prescriptions dispensed per 1000 Medicare consultations, and 25th percentile is 56.
The fifth and sixth bars represent data for calendar year 2017. In 2017:
- 266 PPI prescriptions were written by that GP and were dispensed, per 1000 Medicare consultations
- 103 is the median number of PPI prescriptions per 1000 Medicare consultations written by GPs in the corresponding RA
- the 75th percentile in the RA is 177 PPI prescriptions dispensed per 1000 Medicare consultations, and 25th percentile is 54.
Table 1: What is the cost of your PPI prescribing?
This table shows the total number of this GP’s PPI prescriptions dispensed in 2017, the total cost to the PBS of these prescriptions, the percentage they make up of the GP’s total PBS prescription cost, the total cost of this GP’s high-strength PPI prescriptions and the total cost of their standard-strength PPI prescriptions.
For this GP:
- 1,407 PPI prescriptions written by this GP were dispensed in 2017
- the total cost of those PPI prescriptions to the PBS was $9,153
- this accounted for 4% of this GP’s total prescribing cost to the PBS in 2017
- the total PBS cost of high-strength PPI prescriptions was $2,288
- the total PBS cost of standard-strength PPI prescriptions was $6,634.
For the corresponding RA:
12,613,917 PPI prescriptions written by all GPs in that RA were dispensed in 2017
- the total cost of those PPI prescriptions to the PBS was $126,618,605
- this accounted for 4% of total cost to the PBS of the GPs’ prescriptions in this RA in 2017
- the total PBS cost of high-strength PPI prescriptions written by all GPs in the RA was $40,141,003
- the total PBS cost of standard-strength PPI prescriptions written by all GPs in the RA was $83,117,553.
A note is provided at the bottom: Total number of PPI prescriptions includes those for under co-payment medicines, which incur no PBS cost. Data reflects prescriptions dispensed in 2017.
Figure 2: How many prescriptions do you supply to your patients?
This pie graph shows the number and percentage of patients using a PPI medicine who had 1-2, 3-5, or ≥ 6 PPI prescriptions dispensed in 2017.
The total patients for the corresponding RA are also provided for comparison.
In 2017, this GP had 205 patients using PPI treatment. Of these:
- 55 (27%) had 1-2 prescriptions dispensed
- 30 (15%) had 3-5 prescriptions dispensed
- 120 (59%) had ≥ 6 prescriptions dispensed
In 2017, for all GPs in the corresponding RA:
- 41% of patients had 1-2 prescriptions dispensed
- 21% of patients had 3-5 prescriptions dispensed
- 38% of patients had ≥ 6 prescriptions dispensed
A note is provided at the bottom: Due to rounding, percentages may not total 100%. n = number of patients in 2017.
Figure 3: What is your approach to stepping down?
This horizontal stacker bar graph compares the strength of the first prescription dispensed for this GP’s patients who have used a PPI medicine in 2016, to the strength of the last PPI prescription dispensed in the last 6 months of 2017.
Two horizontal stacker bars are shown on the y-axis. The top bar reflects the percentage of unique patients who received a PPI prescription in 2016, and the bottom horizontal stacker bar reflects percentage of unique patients who received a PPI prescription in 2017.
Three strength groupings are displayed in 2016, high-strength first from the left in orange, followed by standard-strength second from the left in purple and low-strength third from the left in green.
Four bars are displayed in the bottom stacker bar for 2017. High-strength first from the left in orange, followed by standard-strength second from the left in purple, low-strength third from the left in green and zero prescriptions last in blue.
Percentage of patients is displayed on the x-axis, and ranges from 0 to 100% increasing in 20% increments. The total number of unique patients is also displayed on the x-axis label.
In calendar year 2016, this GP had 198 unique patients using PPI treatment.
Looking at first PPI prescription dispensed in 2016 for those patients:
- 15% had a high-strength PPI dispensed
- 80% had a standard-strength PPI dispensed
- 5% had a low-strength PPI dispensed
Following the same patients in July to December 2017:
- for 5%, the last PPI prescription dispensed during this time period was for high-strength PPI
- for 55%, the last PPI prescription dispensed during this time period was for a standard-strength PPI
- for 3%, the last PPI prescription dispensed during this time period was for a low-strength PPI
- 37% did not have any PPI prescriptions dispensed during this time period
A note is provided at the bottom: Due to patients receiving multiple strength PPI medicines, percentages may not total 100%. n = total number of patients.
Figure 4: Age profile of your patients
This graph shows the age profile of this GP's patients represented by a black line, as well as a shaded area between the 25th and 75th percentiles for the RA. Patient age groups are displayed on the x-axis and are stratified into: 0–14, 15–29, 30–44, 45–59, 60–74, 75–89 and 90+ years. Number of patients is shown on the y-axis. The range shown is 0–800, increasing in 200 increments.
During the time period 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2017, this GP had:
- 266 patients aged 0–14 years. The 25th percentile for this age group in the RA is 126 patients and the 75th percentile in the RA is 517 patients
- 157 patients aged 15–29 years. The 25th percentile in the RA is 124 patients and the 75th percentile in the RA is 493 patients
- 259 patients aged 30–44 years. The 25th percentile in the RA is 157 patients and the 75th percentile in the RA is 559 patients
- 247 patients aged 45–59 years. The 25th percentile in the RA is 169 patients and the 75th percentile in the RA is 449 patients
- 276 patients aged 60–74 years. The 25th percentile in the RA is 125 patients and the 75th percentile in the RA is 328 patients
- 106 patients aged 75–89 years. The 25th percentile in the RA is 43 patients and the 75th percentile in the RA is 150 patients
- 3 patients aged 90+. The 25th percentile in the RA is 3 patients and the 75th percentile in the RA is 14 patients
Table 2: Your Medicare patients and concession card holders
This table shows the total number of unique patients that the GP saw between 1 April 2017 and 30 June 2017. The median for the RA is also provided. Number of patients is stratified into:
- patients who received a Medicare Category 1 benefit and
- patients who had a prescription written for them by this GP, who then had this prescription dispensed using a concession card (or safety net card).
Between 1 April 2017 and 30 June 2017, this GP had
- 735 patients who received a Medicare benefit category 1
- 199 patients who had a prescription written by this GP that was dispensed using a concession or safety net card.
Between 1 April 2017 and 30 June 2017 in this RA
- the median number of patients who received a Medicare benefit category 1 was 625
- the median number of patients who had a prescription dispensed using a concession or safety net card was 169.