Patterns of duplicate prescriptions for chronic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan

Abstract Introduction Polypharmacy contributes to the possibility of duplicate prescriptions (DPs). The COVID-19 pandemic has changed patients’ healthcare-seeking behaviors, particularly for patients with chronic diseases. This study aims to explore the correlation between highly prescribed items (HPI) and DPs rates for chronic diseases, while analyzing trends in duplicate prescribing over time, with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic period, to evaluate geographical variation. Method This study utilized public government data from the first quarter (Q1) 2020 through the Q2 2024. Pearson correlation analysis was employed to examine the relationship between HPI and the DP rates. We examined whether the Level 3 COVID-19 alert and relevant variables were associated with changes in DP rates with multivariate linear regression and Poisson regression. Result There was a positive correlation between HPI rates and DP rates (all p < 0.05). During the COVID-19 alert period, the incidence rate ratios for duplicate prescriptions of antihypertensive, antidiabetic, and antihyperlipidemic drugs did not show statistically significant differences compared to other periods (all p > 0.05). In contrast, all three indicators showed significantly higher rates in Q1 compared to Q3 (all p < 0.05). The Kaohsiung-Pingtung and Eastern division exhibited significantly higher DP rates across all three indicators (all p < 0.05). Conclusion The Level 3 COVID-19 alert did not significantly affect DP rates for the chronic diseases of interest. However, significant differences in DP rates were still observed in the Q1 and across administrative divisions. Enhanced pharmacist-led interventions and support for reviewing local claim data are needed to improve the quality of care.