Migraine and headache medications are used as everyday “food” by many people. Every year, more than 3 billion individual doses of painkillers are taken nationwide through self-medication alone, an estimated 85% of them for headaches. In Germany, over 125 million packs of painkillers and migraine medications are distributed every year (Table 1). Including self-medication, around 200 million packs of painkillers were purchased

[1,2].

The illustration illustrates the use of migraine and headache medication in Germany. The widespread prevalence of migraines and headaches in the population is particularly evident in the consumption of migraine and headache medications (Source: IMS Health 2009, Göbel 2012)

Table 1. Consumption of headache medication via self-medication and triptans in Germany 2009 (mod. according to IMS Health 2009)

Packs
(in thousands)		 Single doses (in thousands) Value
(in € thousand)
Painkiller 125.167,4 3.034.282,6 245.720,2
Triptane 3.925,5 21.481,6 79.079,2

Among the 20 best-selling medicines in Germany in 2009 there were ten preparations for the indication headache [1,2]. The numbers are increasing every year. The amount of analgesics consumed in Germany each year is enough to provide over 10 million Germans with a daily, continuous supply of painkillers for an entire year. It is estimated that of the approximately 30,000 dialysis patients, around 20 to 30% required dialysis because of excessive consumption of painkillers. This complication of inadequate pain treatment alone burdens statutory health insurance with around 300 million euros annually [1,2].

The use of analgesics has been increasing continuously in recent years. Within five years, the prescribed daily doses of painkillers increased by 22 percent among those in Saarland with statutory health insurance, according to the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK). This emerges from a comparison between the first half of 2009 and the same period in 2004. Sales in the painkillers group have increased by 33 percent in pharmacies in these five years. According to a current analysis by the German Drug Testing Institute (DAPI), the consumption of painkillers in Germany has jumped by 50% in recent years. While 4.2 million packs were prescribed to legally insured patients in 2005, the prescriptions increased to 6.3 million packs by 2011. Sales of over-the-counter painkillers in Germany amounted to around 1.1 billion euros in 2011. According to estimates, around 2,000 people die every year in Germany from side effects of over-the-counter painkillers [3,4]. Every German swallows an average of 37 individual doses of painkillers per year (see figure). On average, 8.3 million Germans take one headache tablet every day through self-medication. On average, 58,853 individual triptan doses are taken every day in Germany. Around 60% of the population regularly takes headache medication every month through self-medication. Approximately 12% of the population uses headache medication more than 10 days per month. Around 3% of the population takes migraine and painkillers every day [1,2].

Almost 65% of those affected do not consult a doctor but instead treat their headaches independently through self-medication outside of the professional medical system. Only about 15% see a doctor for headache treatment. Around 60% primarily seek help with migraines and headaches from the pharmacy [1].

Sources:

  1. Göbel H (2012) The headache. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Barcelona, ​​Budapest
  2. Health I (2009) The German pharmaceutical market. Statistics on human drug purchases in public pharmacies. DPM, Frankfurt am Main.
  3. Kieble M (2012) 6.3 million packs of narcotic painkillers were dispensed in 2011. German Drug Testing Institute (DAPI), Berlin
  4. Spiegel-Online (2012) Pharma boom: Germans are swallowing more and more painkillers. http://www.spiegel.de/gesundheit/diagnose/schreimittel-aerzte-verschreib-so-viele-packungen-wie-nie-a-865022.html