Migraine is the fourth leading cause of visits to the emergency department. Drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, triptans, and opioids mostly prescribed for migraine treatment. However, these medications induce adverse events and cause medication-overuse headaches. Therefore, the present study indicated the preventive medications for migraine and demonstrated that anticonvulsants and triptans for prevention of menstrual migraine (MM) were less frequently used by primary care physician (PCPs) compared with specialty care physicians.

Many migraineurs who needed preventive therapy are generally not prescribed the proper treatment. The reason behind this is the unfamiliarity of primary care physicians towards preventive regimens for migraine. This analysis involved the evaluation of the migraine-preventive prescription patterns among the office visits using information from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 2006 to 2009 in the United States.

The migraineurs with 18 years or older were selected. Along with the recommendations of the headache guidelines, the study comprised antidepressants, triptans for short-term prevention of menstrual migraine, beta-blockers, and other triptans for acute therapy.  

A total of 32.8% in 2006 to 38.6% in 2009 adults with migraine prescribed with preventive medication were visited. Visits to primary care physicians considered for 72.6% of the evaluated adult migraine visits. As compared to the speciality care physicians, primary care physicians prescribed fewer Triptans and Anticonvulsants for menstrual migraine. No difference was noticed in the prescription patterns of Beta-blockers and Antidepressants between primary and speciality care physicians. The patients with comorbidity of hypertension and depression were prescribed for Beta-blockers and Antidepressants, respectively.

There are variations in the prescription patterns of various kind of preventive therapies between primary care physicians and speciality care physicians.