Medical intelligence in Sweden. Vitamin B12: oral compared with parenteral?
Background: Sweden is the only country in which oral high dose vitamin B12 has gained widespread use in the treatment of deficiency states. Objective: The aim of the study was to describe prescribing patterns and sales statistics of vitamin B12 tablets and injections in Sweden 1990–2000. Design, set...
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Published in | Postgraduate medical journal Vol. 81; no. 953; pp. 191 - 193 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
London
The Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine
01.03.2005
BMJ Oxford University Press BMJ Group |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Background: Sweden is the only country in which oral high dose vitamin B12 has gained widespread use in the treatment of deficiency states. Objective: The aim of the study was to describe prescribing patterns and sales statistics of vitamin B12 tablets and injections in Sweden 1990–2000. Design, setting, and sources: Official statistics of cobalamin prescriptions and sales were used. Results: The use of vitamin B12 increased in Sweden 1990–2000, mainly because of an increase in the use of oral high dose vitamin B12 therapy. The experience, in statistical terms a “total investigation”, comprised 1 000 000 patient years for tablets and 750 000 patient years for injections. During 2000, 13% of residents aged 70 and over were treated with vitamin B12, two of three with the tablet preparation. Most patients in Sweden requiring vitamin B12 therapy have transferred from parenteral to oral high dose vitamin B12 since 1964, when the oral preparation was introduced. Conclusion: The findings suggest that many patients in other post-industrial societies may also be suitable for oral vitamin B12 treatment. |
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Bibliography: | istex:1ED5CF8BBB793C98DA68C3D665F86E6911AE65F5 local:0810191 Correspondence to: Dr B Norberg Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Northern Sweden, SE-901 85 Umeå, Sweden; bo.norberg@vll.se ark:/67375/NVC-QDQFP986-3 href:postgradmedj-81-191.pdf PMID:15749797 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0032-5473 1469-0756 1469-0756 |
DOI: | 10.1136/pgmj.2004.020057 |