Objective:

To investigate trends in incidence rates of symptomatic antidementia drug dispensations among home-dwelling people aged 60 years and older in Norway from 2006 to 2020, focusing on the role of general practitioners (GPs) in prescribing these medications.

Key Findings:

• The annual incidence rate of antidementia drug dispensations declined over the study period, indicating a potential shift in treatment practices.
• Older individuals and females were more likely to receive their first antidementia drug dispensation from a GP, suggesting demographic influences on prescribing.
• The proportion of first-time antidementia drugs prescribed by GPs decreased over time for both genders, raising concerns about GP engagement in dementia care.

Interpretation:

The decline in GP involvement in prescribing antidementia medications raises concerns about potential barriers to GP engagement in dementia care, such as time constraints or lack of training, necessitating further research.

Limitations:

• The study does not include data on prescriptions for individuals residing in nursing homes, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
• Information on over-the-counter drugs was not available, potentially underestimating the total medication use among this population.

Conclusion:

Understanding current treatment practices is essential for planning future healthcare services in the context of an aging population and increasing dementia prevalence, ensuring that GPs are adequately supported in their prescribing roles.