Long-term use among patients who were treated according to a “three-drug regime”
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STUDY OBJECTIVES
To study long-term use among patients who were treated according to a “three-drug regime”. There are three PDE5 inhibitors marketed, Viagra, Levitra and Cialis. Although oral treatment is simple and mostly effective, approximately fifty percent of men stop using the medication within two years. It was hypothesised that compliance would improve if the patient was allowed to try all three PDE5 inhibitors and to prescribe the drug(s) he and his partner found most effective.
DESIGN
A non-intervention survey.
PATIENTS
127 men with an average age of sixty years who had all participated in treatment regimes in 2003 that allowed them to test all three drugs
METHODS
The patients were interviewed by telephone between two and three years after completing their treatment program.
RESULTS
The reason given for discontinuing use was that erections were achieved without drug support. Just over 85% were still using PDE5 inhibitors. The usage varied between one and eight tablets per month. Three-quarters polled used only one drug. The others switched between a short- and slow-acting drug as required. One quarter had changed their drug preference through their experience over three years.
CONCLUSIONS
That patients were more inclined to continue drug use if they were given control over the type of drug and dosage they were allowed to take.