Table 2.

Patient, GP, and primary healthcare centre characteristics for all medications and by medication groups

VariableAll medications (N= 1 678 941)Drugs for chronic diseases (N= 463 030)Analgesics (N= 1 110 664)Penicillins (N= 313 165)
Patient level
  Sex: female, n (%)967 593 (57.63)262 365 (56.66)653 788 (58.86)185 104 (59.11)
  Age, mean (SD)52.66 (19.24)61.85 (16.69)50.23 (19.17)49.06 (19.71)
Area socioeconomic status,a n (%)
  Urban 1233 152 (13.89)71 238 (15.39)142 558 (12.84)39 329 (12.56)
  Urban 2267 777 (15.95)75 316 (16.27)173 781 (15.65)48 081 (15.35)
  Urban 3280 554 (16.71)77 064 (16.64)187 324 (16.87)52 233 (16.68)
  Urban 4295 149 (17.58)79 093 (17.08)202 112 (18.20)55 825 (17.83)
  Urban 5294 369 (17.53)74 687 (16.13)208 831 (18.80)57 841 (18.47)
  Rural307 940 (18.34)85 632 (18.49)196 058 (17.65)59 856 (19.11)
Nationality, n (%)
  Spanish1 349 005 (80.35)417 930 (90.26)854 293 (76.92)251 006 (80.15)
  Americanb134 965 (8.04)19 057 (4.12)102 827 (9.26)22 919 (7.32)
  Asian/Oceanian35 055 (2.09)4090 (0.88)28 967 (2.61)6177 (1.97)
  Other European59 196 (3.53)11 947 (2.58)40 198 (3.62)11 291 (3.61)
  African100 720 (6.00)10 006 (2.16)84 379 (7.60)21 772 (6.95)
  Number of comorbidities; grouped,c mean (SD)1.91 (1.46)2.49 (1.45)1.81 (1.45)1.84 (1.50)
  Number of new prescriptions,d mean (SD)1.79 (1.07)1.19 (0.48)1.33 (0.59)1.11 (0.35)
GP level, N6706583565125919
  Sex: female, n (%)4681 (69.80)3990 (68.38)4517 (69.36)4046 (68.36)
  Age, mean (SD)45.38 (11.35)45.68 (11.30)45.44 (11.34)45.64 (11.30)
  Assigned GPs, n (%)5032 (75.04)4503 (77.17)4919 (75.54)4539 (76.69)
PCC level, N291287290288
  Training centre, n (%)72 (24.74)72 (25.09)72 (24.83)72 (25.00)
  • a Urban categories range from 1 to 5, quintiles of increasing socioeconomic status in urban areas, while rural refers to people who live in rural areas.

  • b American covers North, Central and South-Americans.

  • c Diseases were recorded according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) and grouped as follows: allergy, pain, respiratory, disability, cardiovascular, mental, neurological, diabetes mellitus, digestive, and thyroid-related diseases.

  • d New prescriptions included in the same medication group. PCC = primary care centre.