Prescription of anti-influenza drugs in Japan, 2014–2020: A retrospective study using open data from the national claims database

BACKGROUND: Both physicians and patients are proactive towards managing seasonal influenza in Japan and six drugs are approved. Although many countries have national influenza surveillance systems, data on nationwide prescription practices of anti-influenza drugs are lacking. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the status of anti-influenza drug use in Japan by analyzing real-world data. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed open data from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups, which covers most claims data from national health insurance. We estimated the annual number of patients prescribed anti-influenza drugs, which drugs they were prescribed, the patients’ age and sex distribution, drug costs, and regional disparities for the period 2014–2020. RESULTS: For 2014–2019, an estimated 6.7–13.4 million patients per year were prescribed anti-influenza drugs, with an annual cost of 22.3–48.0 billion JPY (Japanese Yen). In addition, 21.1–32.0 million rapid antigen tests were performed at a cost of 30.1–47.1 billion JPY. In 2017, laninamivir was the most frequently prescribed anti-influenza drug (48%), followed by oseltamivir (36%), while in 2018, the newly introduced baloxavir accounted for 40.8% of prescriptions. After the emergence of COVID-19, the estimated number of patients prescribed anti-influenza drugs in 2020 dropped to just 14,000. In 2018, 37.6% of prescriptions were for patients aged < 20 years compared with 12.2% for those aged ≥ 65 years. Prescriptions for inpatients accounted for 1.1%, and the proportion of prescriptions for inpatients increased with age, with men were more likely than women to be prescribed anti-influenza drugs while hospitalized. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our clarification of how influenza is clinically managed in Japan, future work should evaluate the clinical and economic aspects of proactively prescribing anti-influenza drugs.