Table 9: Patients dispensed with mental health-related prescriptions, by Remoteness, 2015–16
|
MC |
IR |
OR |
R |
VR |
|
|
|
Crude rate per 1,000 per year |
||||
|
Subsidised patients |
93 |
141 |
113 |
66 |
27 |
|
Total patients |
159 |
212 |
174 |
119 |
57 |
|
Subsidised prescriptions |
925 |
1400 |
1099 |
602 |
222 |
|
Total prescriptions |
1412 |
1964 |
1577 |
1000 |
434 |
|
Prescriptions per patient |
8.9 |
9.3 |
9.1 |
8.4 |
7.6 |
Source: http://mhsa.aihw.gov.au/downloads/data-downloads/
Table 10: Patients dispensed with mental health-related prescriptions, by agegroup, 2015–16
|
Less than 15 years |
15–24 years |
25–34 years |
35–44 years |
45–54 years |
55–64 years |
65 years and over |
|
|
|
Crude rate per 1,000 per year |
||||||
|
Subsidised patients |
18.8 |
53.0 |
59.1 |
82.0 |
94.4 |
119.7 |
297.9 |
|
Total patients |
22.7 |
101.8 |
136.5 |
183.2 |
215.3 |
235.9 |
327.1 |
|
Subsidised prescriptions |
155.1 |
371.4 |
546.2 |
919.0 |
1095.5 |
1327.9 |
2840.4 |
|
Total prescriptions |
182.0 |
684.4 |
1062.0 |
1707.3 |
2060.2 |
2237.5 |
3062.5 |
|
Prescriptions per patient |
8.0 |
6.7 |
7.8 |
9.3 |
9.6 |
9.5 |
9.4 |
Source: http://mhsa.aihw.gov.au/downloads/data-downloads/
Crude rates of prescription are higher in regional areas, and lower in remote areas than in Major cities. One of the reasons for this difference is the older average age in regional areas and the younger average age in remote areas, coupled with the greater background prescription rates for older people. However, when the rate at which subsidised patients are dispensed mental health related prescriptions is indirectly age standardised, these higher rates in regional areas, and lower rates in remote areas persist, albeit less strongly. It is unclear to what extent the supply (as opposed to the dispensing) of medication to Community Controlled Aboriginal Health Services under Section 100 influences these inter-regional comparisons, but it may explain much of the lower apparent rate of supply in remote areas.