Objectives: To determine the extent to which "current guidelines" for the management of hypertension are reflected in the prescribing of antihypertensive drugs in Australia over the period 1994-1998, and to examine the cost implications of actual and recommended prescribing patterns.
Design: Federal Government and consumer cost estimates modelled on prescribing patterns and guideline recommendations over the period 1994-1998.
Setting: Prescribing on Federal Government pharmaceutical schemes over the 1994-1998 period.
Main outcome measures: Estimates of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme/Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme cost changes in Australian dollar values.
Results: The implementation of current guidelines for patients with uncomplicated hypertension taking monotherapy alone could have reduced drug costs by $45-$108 million in 1998.
Conclusions: Current prescribing patterns indicate that clinical practice has pre-empted the results from clinical trials of newer, more expensive agents and that clinicians' prescribing patterns do not closely reflect current recommendations.