A survey on appropriateness of use of nimesulide in nine European Countries

Background: Appropriateness of use is a key factor in safeguarding patient’s health as well
as a product’s therapeutic properties. This paper presents the results of a survey conducted in
nine European countries to verify the appropriateness of use of nimesulide in patients with
inflammatory pain.
Methods: Computer-aided telephone interviews were administered to 1,277 nimesulideprescribing
general practitioners in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, and Slovakia, covering an estimated 31,719 patients. The interview questionnaire
collected information on nimesulide prescriptions with respect to daily dose, treatment
duration, and indication.
Results: In the majority of cases, prescriptions of nimesulide did not exceed the recommended
daily dose of 200 mg (given as 100 mg twice a day), with a range from 161 mg (Greece) to
190 mg (Slovakia). An adherence to the 15-day treatment limit was observed in over 90%
of cases. The average number of treatment days was always less than 15, with a range from
5.4 (Italy) to 13.6 (Czech Republic). Nimesulide was primarily used for the treatment of acute
pain and short-term painful episodes in chronic conditions. The presence of gastrointestinal
diseases/ulcers was the most frequent reason for not prescribing nimesulide.
Conclusion: The results of this survey demonstrate that nimesulide is generally prescribed in
compliance with the information reported in the summary of product characteristics (SmPC) with
regard to daily dose and treatment duration, and suggest that it is mainly used for the management
of episodes of acute pain in patients with a chronic disorder. These findings indicate the
appropriateness of use of nimesulide in the European countries considered in this survey