Introduction:

the objective was to determine the prescription patterns of antimigraine drugs in a Colombian population.

Methods:

a cross-sectional study of a population database that recorded all patients diagnosed with migraine and the drugs used for crisis and prophylaxis treatment for at least three months during 2018. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify variables associated with the use of prophylaxis.

Results:

A total of 5973 patients diagnosed with migraine were identified, with a mean age of 37.7±14.5 years and female predominance (81.3%). The most common diagnosis was migraine without aura (36.9%), followed by migraine with aura (28.4%). Overall, 7.3% of patients were treated by neurologists and 92.8% by general practitioners, and 85.4% (n=5101) received treatment for acute episodes. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (52.1%) were the most prescribed drugs, followed by ergotamine (42.1%). The 46.3% of patients were receiving prophylactic therapy. Women older than 35 years and patients treated by neurologists were more likely to receive prophylactic therapy.

Conclusions:

The use of medications for acute migraine management prevailed, with a very low proportion of triptans. Despite the significant undesirable effects, ergotamine continues to be used frequently. Physicians should evaluate the need for prophylaxis, focusing on finding an effective therapy that reduces disabilities.