Concomitant medications were defined based on >or=14 days of prescription supply in the same month as bisphosphonate therapy.
Medications were defined by using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical ATCClassificationion (1996) [ 17].
Multiple medications was defined as ≥five recorded medicines.
Long-term medications were defined as current medications that were taken to treat a chronic condition.
Psychotropic medications were defined as antipsychotics (ATC classification N05A), antidepressants (N06A), hypnotics (N05C) and anxiolytics (N05B).
High risk medications were defined by 2012 Beers Criteria adapted for the UK.
Antidiabetes medications were defined as biguanides, sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, α-glucosidase inhibitors, meglitinides, d-phenylalanine derivatives, pramlintide, exenatide, or insulins.
Multiple antihypertensive medications was defined as one or more ACEI or angiotensin receptor blocker and one more calcium channel antagonist or diuretic prescribed simultaneously.
Non-initiators of statin medications were defined as those patients receiving no statin prescriptions for at least one year before hospital admission and throughout the study period.
New initiators of statin medications were defined as those patients who received at least one prescription for a statin after hospital discharge.
