In a new report by the Intermutualistic Agency, medication use among the Belgian population in 2020 is compared to the prepandemic situation in 2019. The study provides an assessment of the number of patients quitting or starting medication, as well the medication possession ratio. Van Duynslaeger, Willaert & Vanoverloop focus on four groups of medication: medication for the treatment of (a) high blood pressure; (b) diabetes; (c) respiratory conditions; and (d) ADHD. 

The results show a clear impact of the crisis with a drop of the number of people starting medication since March 2020, suggesting a considerable number of undiagnosed and untreated health conditions. In addition, the study finds that most individuals that were already on medication before the outbreak, showed stable medication use throughout the rest of crisis year. 

The full report is available via: 
(In Dutch) https://ima-aim.be/IMG/pdf/ima-rapport_-_de_impact_van_de_coronacrisis_op_het_gebruik_van_geneesmiddelen_-_nl.pdf
(In French) https://ima-aim.be/IMG/pdf/rapport_aim_-_impact_de_la_crise_du_coronavirus_sur_la_consommation_de_medicaments_-_fr.pdf