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Pockros B, Cortese BD, Michel K, Ellis TA, Talwar R. Online Tools to Decrease Out-of-Pocket Prescription Costs for Patients: A Practical Guide for Urologists. Urol Pract 2024; 11:454-460. [PMID: 38640418 DOI: 10.1097/upj.0000000000000544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Patients who seek urologic care have recently reported a high degree of financial toxicity from prescription medications, including management for nephrolithiasis, urinary incontinence, and urological oncology. Estimating out-of-pocket costs can be challenging for urologists in the US because of variable insurance coverage, local pharmacy distributions, and complicated prescription pricing schemes. This article discusses resources that urologists can adopt into their practice and share with patients to help lower out-of-pocket spending for prescription medications. METHODS We identify 4 online tools that are designed to direct patients toward more affordable prescription medication options: the Medicare Part D Plan Finder, GoodRx, Amazon, and the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. A brief historical overview and summary for patients and clinicians are provided for each online resource. A patient-centered framework is provided to help navigate these 4 available tools in clinic. RESULTS Among the 4 tools we identify, there are multiples tradeoffs to consider as financial savings and features can vary. First, patients insured by Medicare should explore the Part D Plan Finder each year to compare drug plans. Second, patients who need to urgently refill a prescription at a local pharmacy should visit GoodRx. Third, patients who are prescribed recurrent generic prescriptions for chronic conditions can utilize the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. Finally, patients who are prescribed 3 or more chronic medications can benefit from subscribing to Amazon RxPass. CONCLUSIONS Prescription medications for urologic conditions can be expensive. This article includes 4 online resources that can help patients access medications at their most affordable costs. Urologists can provide this framework to their patients to help support lowering out-of-pocket drug costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Pockros
- Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Brian D Cortese
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Katharine Michel
- Department of Urology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Taryn A Ellis
- Department of Urology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Ruchika Talwar
- Department of Urology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
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Westergaard N, Baltzer Houlind M, Christrup LL, Juul-Larsen HG, Strandhave C, Olesen AE. Use of drugs with pharmacogenomics (PGx)-based dosing guidelines in a Danish cohort of persons with chronic kidney disease, both on dialysis and not on dialysis: Perspectives for prescribing optimization. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2024; 134:531-542. [PMID: 38308569 DOI: 10.1111/bcpt.13985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
AIM The objective of this registry study is to assess the utilization of pharmacogenomic (PGx) drugs among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). METHODS This study was a retrospective study of patients affiliated with the Department of Nephrology, Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark in 2021. Patients diagnosed with CKD were divided into CKD without dialysis and CKD with dialysis. PGx prescription drugs were retrieved from the Patient Administration System. Actionable dosing guidelines (AG) for specific drug-gene pairs for CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and SLCO1B1 were retrieved from the PharmGKB homepage. RESULTS Out of 1241 individuals, 25.5% were on dialysis. The median number of medications for each patient was 9 within the non-dialysis group and 16 within the dialysis group. Thirty-one distinct PGx drugs were prescribed. Altogether, 76.0% (943 individuals) were prescribed at least one PGx drug and the prevalence of prescriptions of PGx drugs was higher in the dialysis group compared to the non-dialysis group. The most frequently prescribed drugs with AG were metoprolol, pantoprazole, atorvastatin, simvastatin and warfarin. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that a substantial proportion of patients with CKD are exposed to drugs or drug combinations for which there exists AG related to PGx of CYP2D6, CYP2C19, CYP2C9 and SLCO1B1.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Morten Baltzer Houlind
- Department of Clinical Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- The Capital Region Pharmacy, Herlev, Denmark
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lona Louring Christrup
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Helle Gybel Juul-Larsen
- Department of Clinical Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | | | - Anne Estrup Olesen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
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Kaplan CM, Waters TM, Clear ER, Graves EE, Henderson S. The Impact of Prescription Drug Coverage on Disparities in Adherence and Medication Use: A Systematic Review. Med Care Res Rev 2024; 81:87-95. [PMID: 38174355 DOI: 10.1177/10775587231218050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Prescription drug cost-sharing is a barrier to medication adherence, particularly for low-income and minority populations. In this systematic review, we examined the impact of prescription drug cost-sharing and policies to reduce cost-sharing on racial/ethnic and income disparities in medication utilization. We screened 2,145 titles and abstracts and identified 19 peer-reviewed papers that examined the interaction between cost-sharing and racial/ethnic and income disparities in medication adherence or utilization. We found weak but inconsistent evidence that lower cost-sharing is associated with reduced disparities in adherence and utilization, but studies consistently found that significant disparities remained even after adjusting for differences in cost-sharing across individuals. Study designs varied in their ability to measure the causal effect of policy or cost-sharing changes on disparities, and a wide range of policies were examined across studies. Further research is needed to identify the types of policies that are best suited to reduce disparities in medication adherence.
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Chi W, Song J, Yazdanfard S, Daggolu J, Varisco TJ. Why the increase? Examining the rise in prescription medication expenditures in the United States between 2011 and 2020. Res Social Adm Pharm 2024; 20:432-442. [PMID: 38302297 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2024.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
The objective of this cross-sectional analysis was to identify determinants of increasing medicine expenditures in the US between 2011 and 2020. Prescription medication expenditures from the 2011-2020 Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS) were used to calculate total annual medication expenditures by payer categories (Out-of-pocket, Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE/Veterans Administration/CHAMPVA (TVAC), Other Government Sources, Private Insurance, and Other Sources). From here, expenditures were stratified by therapeutic category using Multum Lexicon Drug Class to examine trends in expenditures by therapeutic area. Linear regression was used to identify temporal trends in medication expenditures. From 2011 to 2020, total annual prescription medication expenditures rose from $341.49 to $473.12 billion per year with metabolic agents being the most costly category. Among the metabolic agents, antidiabetic agents were the most costly therapeutic area, with an increasing trend observed from $27.15 to $89.17 billion over the same period. Medicare, Medicaid, Private Insurance, TVAC, and Other Sources also saw an increasing trend in antidiabetic agent expenditure, while no trend was observed for Out-of-pocket and Other Government Sources. Insulin had the highest expenditure among antidiabetic agents. Further studies are warranted to explore specific factors contributing to the increasing trend.
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Affiliation(s)
- Whanhui Chi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, USA
| | - Juhyeon Song
- Hobby School of Public Affairs, University of Houston, USA
| | - Sahar Yazdanfard
- Department of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, USA
| | - Jerusha Daggolu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, USA
| | - Tyler J Varisco
- The Prescription Drug Misuse Education and Research Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy University of Houston College of Pharmacy, USA.
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Cheng TC, Lo CC. Factors Associated with Insured Children's Use of Physician Visits, Dentist Visits, Hospital Care, and Prescribed Medications in the United States: An Application of Behavioral Model of Health-Services Use. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2024; 21:427. [PMID: 38673338 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21040427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
This study is the first to examine factors in the utilization of physician services, dentist services, hospital care, and prescribed medications focusing exclusively on insured children in the United States. Data describing 48,660 insured children were extracted from the 2021 National Survey of Children's Health. Children in the present sample were covered by private health insurance, public health insurance, or other health insurance. Logistic regression results showed self-reported health to be negatively associated with physician visits, hospital-care use, and prescription use, but teeth condition to be positively associated with dentist visits. Physician visits were associated negatively with age, Hispanic ethnicity, Asian ethnicity, family income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, and other health insurance, but positively with parental education and metropolitan residency. Dentist visits were associated positively with girls, age, and parental education, but negatively with Asian ethnicity and public health insurance. Use of hospital care was associated negatively with age and Asian ethnicity, but positively with parental education and public health insurance. Use of prescriptions was associated positively with age, Black ethnicity, parental education, and public health insurance, but negatively with Hispanic ethnicity, Asian ethnicity, and family income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Implications included the expansion of public health insurance, promotion of awareness of medicine discount programs, and understanding of racial/ethnic minorities' cultural beliefs in health and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyrone C Cheng
- Little Hall, School of Social Work, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, USA
| | - Celia C Lo
- Defense Personnel and Security Research Center, Peraton, Seaside, CA 93955, USA
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Piret EM, Milloy MJ, Voon P, Choi J, DeBeck K, Hayashi K, Kerr T. Denial of prescription pain medication among people who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:72. [PMID: 38549113 PMCID: PMC10979632 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-00956-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People who use drugs experience pain at two to three times the rate of the general population and yet continue to face substantial barriers to accessing appropriate and adequate treatment for pain. In light of the overdose crisis and revised opioid prescribing guidelines, we sought to identify factors associated with being denied pain medication and longitudinally investigate denial rates among people who use drugs. METHODS We used multivariable generalized estimating equations analyses to investigate factors associated with being denied pain medication among people who use drugs reporting pain in three prospective cohort studies in Vancouver, Canada. Analyses were restricted to study periods in which participants requested a prescription for pain from a healthcare provider. Descriptive statistics detail denial rates and actions taken by participants after being denied. RESULTS Among 1168 participants who requested a prescription for pain between December 2012 and March 2020, the median age was 47 years and 63.0% were male. Among 4,179 six-month observation periods, 907 (21.7%) included a report of being denied requested pain medication. In multivariable analyses, age was negatively associated with prescription denial (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.97-0.99), while self-managing pain (AOR = 2.48, 95%CI:2.04-3.00), experiencing a non-fatal overdose (AOR = 1.51, 95%CI:1.22-1.88), engagement in opioid agonist therapy (AOR = 1.32, 95%CI:1.09-1.61), and daily use of heroin or other unregulated opioids (AOR = 1.32, 95%CI:1.05-1.66) were positively associated with being denied. Common actions taken (n = 895) after denial were accessing the unregulated drug supply (53.5%), doing nothing (30.6%), and going to a different doctor/emergency room (6.1%). The period following the introduction of new prescribing guidelines was not associated with a change in denial rates. CONCLUSIONS A substantial proportion of people who use drugs continue to be denied prescriptions for pain, with such denial associated with important substance use-related harms, including non-fatal overdose. Guidelines specific to the pharmaceutical management of pain among people who use drugs are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyne Marie Piret
- British Columbia Centre On Substance Use, 1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2A9, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 5804 Fairview Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - M-J Milloy
- British Columbia Centre On Substance Use, 1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2A9, Canada
- Division of Social Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Pauline Voon
- British Columbia Centre On Substance Use, 1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2A9, Canada
| | - JinCheol Choi
- British Columbia Centre On Substance Use, 1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2A9, Canada
| | - Kora DeBeck
- British Columbia Centre On Substance Use, 1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2A9, Canada
- School of Public Policy, Simon Fraser University, 515 West Hastings St, Vancouver, BC, V6B 5K3, Canada
| | - Kanna Hayashi
- British Columbia Centre On Substance Use, 1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2A9, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Thomas Kerr
- British Columbia Centre On Substance Use, 1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2A9, Canada.
- Division of Social Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada.
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New online provider for prescription medications. Vet Rec 2024; 194:219. [PMID: 38488595 DOI: 10.1002/vetr.4064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
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Golberstein E, Campbell JM, Maclean JC, Harris SJ, Saloner B, Stein BD. Prescription Drug Dispensing and Patient Costs After Implementation of a No Behavioral Health Cost-Sharing Law. JAMA Health Forum 2024; 5:e240198. [PMID: 38517423 PMCID: PMC10960196 DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2024.0198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance On January 1, 2022, New Mexico implemented a No Behavioral Cost-Sharing (NCS) law that eliminated cost-sharing for mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) treatments in plans regulated by the state, potentially reducing a barrier to treatment for MH/SUDs among the commercially insured; however, the outcomes of the law are unknown. Objective To assess the association of implementation of the NCS with out-of-pocket spending for prescription for drugs primarily used to treat MH/SUDs and monthly volume of dispensed drugs. Design, Settings, and Participants This retrospective cohort study used a difference-in-differences research design to examine trends in outcomes for New Mexico state employees, a population affected by the NCS, compared with federal employees in New Mexico who were unaffected by NCS. Data were collected on prescription drugs for MH/SUDs dispensed per month between January 2021 and June 2022 for New Mexico patients with a New Mexico state employee health plan and New Mexico patients with a federal employee health plan. Data analysis occurred from December 2022 to January 2024. Exposure Enrollment in a state employee health plan or federal health plan. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcomes were mean patient out-of-pocket spending per dispensed MH/SUD prescription and the monthly volume of dispensed MH/SUD prescriptions per 1000 employees. A difference-in-differences estimation approach was used. Results The implementation of the NCS law was associated with a mean (SE) $6.37 ($0.30) reduction (corresponding to an 85.6% decrease) in mean out-of-pocket spending per dispensed MH/SUD medication (95% CI, -$7.00 to -$5.75). The association of implementation of NCS with the volume of prescriptions dispensed was not statistically significant. Conclusions and Relevance These findings suggest that the implementation of the New Mexico NCS law was successful in lowering out-of-pocket spending on prescription medications for MH/SUDs, but that there was no association of NCS with the volume of medications dispensed in the first 6 months after implementation. A key challenge is to identify policies that protect from high out-of-pocket spending while also promoting access to needed care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezra Golberstein
- Division of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis
| | - James M. Campbell
- Division of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis
| | - Johanna Catherine Maclean
- Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
- National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Samantha J. Harris
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Brendan Saloner
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
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Harris E. FDA Approves First State Program to Import Rx Drugs From Canada. JAMA 2024; 331:466. [PMID: 38265840 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2023.27966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
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10
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Matute I, Castillo-Laborde C. Prescription drug coverage and effective coverage of three chronic conditions of high prevalence in Chile: Hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297807. [PMID: 38346084 PMCID: PMC10861056 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Access to medicines is a serious problem globally and in Chile. Despite the creation of coverage policies, part of the population with chronic conditions of high prevalence, still does not have access to the medicines it requires and disease control continues to be low. The objective of the study was to estimate the medication use and effective coverage for diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension in Chile, analyzing them according to sociodemographic variables and social determinants of health. METHODS Cross-sectional analytical study with information from the 2016-2017 National Health Survey (sample = 6,233 people aged 15 years or older, expanded = 14,518,969). Descriptive analyses of medication use and effective coverage for hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia were carried out, and multivariate logistic regression models were developed to analyze possible associations with variables of interest. RESULTS 60% of people with hypertension or diabetes use medications and only 27.7% in dyslipidemia. While 54.2% of those with diabetes have their glycemia controlled, in hypertension and dyslipidemia the effective coverage drops to 33.3% and 6.6%, respectively. There are no differences in use by health system, but there are differences in the control of hypertension and diabetes, favoring beneficiaries of the private subsystem. Effective coverage of dyslipidemia and hypertension also increases in those using medications. The drugs coincide with the established protocols, although beneficiaries of the private sector report greater use of innovative drugs. CONCLUSION A significant proportion of Chileans with hypertension, diabetes or dyslipidemia still do not use the required medications and do not control their conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Matute
- Centro de Epidemiología y Políticas de Salud, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carla Castillo-Laborde
- Centro de Epidemiología y Políticas de Salud, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
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Fung V, Price M, Cheng D, Patel TA, Yang Z, Hsu J, Alegria M, Newhouse JP. Associations Between Annual Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy Loss and Prescription Drug Spending and Use. JAMA Health Forum 2024; 5:e235152. [PMID: 38306091 PMCID: PMC10837747 DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.5152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance The Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS) program provides millions of beneficiaries with drug plan premium and cost-sharing assistance. The extent to which LIS recipients experience subsidy losses with annual redetermination cycles and the resulting associations with prescription drug affordability and use are unknown. Objective To examine how frequently annual LIS benefits are lost among Medicare Part D beneficiaries and how this is associated with prescription drug use and out-of-pocket costs. Design, Setting, and Participants In this cohort study of Medicare Part D beneficiaries from 2007 to 2018, annual changes in LIS recipients among those automatically deemed eligible (eg, due to dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid) and nondeemed beneficiaries who must apply for LIS benefits were analyzed using Medicare enrollment and Part D event data. Subsidy losses were classified in 4 groups: temporary losses (<1 year); extended losses (≥1 year); subsidy reductions (change to partial LIS); and disenrollment from Medicare Part D after subsidy loss. Temporary losses could more likely represent subsidy losses among eligible beneficiaries. Multinomial logit models were used to examine associations between beneficiary characteristics and subsidy loss; linear regression models were used to compare changes in prescription drug cost and use in the months after subsidy losses vs before. Analyses were conducted between November 2022 and November 2023. Exposure Subsidy loss at the beginning of each year among subsidy recipients in December of the prior year. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcomes were out-of-pocket costs and prescription drug fills overall and for 4 classes: antidiabetes, antilipid, antidepressant, and antipsychotic drugs. Results In 2008, 731 070 full LIS beneficiaries (17%) were not deemed automatically eligible (39% were aged <65 years; 59% were female). Nearly all beneficiaries deemed automatically eligible (≥99%) retained the subsidy annually from 2007 to 2018, compared with 78% to 84% of nondeemed beneficiaries. Among nondeemed beneficiaries, disabled individuals younger than 65 years and racial and ethnic minority groups were more likely to have temporary subsidy losses vs none. Temporary losses were associated with an average 700% increase in out-of-pocket drug costs (+$52.72/mo [95% CI, 52.52-52.92]) and 15% reductions in prescription fills (-0.58 fills/mo [95% CI, -0.59 to -0.57]) overall. Similar changes were found for antidiabetes, antilipid, antidepressant, and antipsychotic prescription drug classes. Beneficiaries who retained their subsidy had few changes. Conclusions and Relevance The conclusions of this cohort study suggest that efforts to help eligible beneficiaries retain Medicare Part D subsidies could improve drug affordability, treatment adherence, and reduce disparities in medication access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicki Fung
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - David Cheng
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Tej A Patel
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | | | - John Hsu
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Margarita Alegria
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Joseph P Newhouse
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Jiang X, Govoni TD, Illg Z, Connolly S, Green JL, Guy GP. Sources of nonmedically used prescription psychotherapeutic drugs using real-world data from adolescents and adults assessed for substance use treatment--2014-2022. Res Social Adm Pharm 2024; 20:209-214. [PMID: 37919218 PMCID: PMC10843771 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2023.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nonmedical use (NMU) of prescription psychotherapeutic drugs (PPD) may increase risk for significant morbidity and mortality in the overdose crisis. OBJECTIVE This study examines sources of PPD using real-world data from adolescents and adults reporting past 30-day NMU of PPDs. METHODS A convenience sample of individuals aged ≥10 years assessed for substance use disorders (SUD) treatment was analyzed using the 2014-2022 National Addictions Vigilance Intervention and Prevention Program datasets. PPD include prescription opioids, prescription tranquilizers/sedatives, and prescription stimulants. RESULTS Overall, among assessments of adolescents aged 10-18 years (N = 1991) and young adults aged 19-24 years (N = 15,166), "family/friend" (46.08-47.41 %) and "dealer" (33.82-42.71 %) were the most common sources. Among assessments of adults aged ≥25 years (N = 89,225), "own prescription" was the most common source and increased in frequency as age increased. Across all age groups, "family/friend" was the most frequent source for all drug classes (41.96-48.76 %) except for nonmedically used buprenorphine/methadone, for which "own prescription" was the most common source (51.85 %) among adults. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates heterogeneity in sources of nonmedically used PPD across age groups. Tailored prevention strategies for different age groups and improving timely access to medical care to ensure proper treatment of chronic medical conditions including SUD are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Jiang
- Division of Overdose Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA.
| | - Taryn Dailey Govoni
- Inflexxion, a division of Uprise Health, 2 Park Plaza, Suite 1200, Irvine, CA, 92614, USA
| | - Zachary Illg
- Division of Overdose Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA
| | - Sarah Connolly
- Division of Overdose Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA
| | - Jody L Green
- Inflexxion, a division of Uprise Health, 2 Park Plaza, Suite 1200, Irvine, CA, 92614, USA
| | - Gery P Guy
- Division of Overdose Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA
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Richert L, Carter GL. "Conscientious Guardian" vs. "Commercialized Jungle": Pharmacists and Pharmacy Design in the Postwar United States. J Hist Med Allied Sci 2024; 79:39-64. [PMID: 38104253 DOI: 10.1093/jhmas/jrad029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Pharmacists and pharmacies are key drivers in the American marketplace. They serve as an endpoint of the pharmaceutical supply chain and are the dispensers of a range of consumer goods, some nonthreatening and others potentially harmful to public health. In adding pharmacies to the roster of consumerist locales in the postwar period, scholars might draw even deeper connections about the transformation of health, corporate medicine, and American economic power. To understand the interface of consumerism, corporatism, and health in postwar America, this article holds the postwar pharmacy as a key site of commodity exchange and business and positions it within the larger American firmament, paying attention to the design of pharmacies. In particular, the article will add to the knowledge about the tangible ways that medical and health care spaces are constructed, organized, and designed to best generate profits. Besides prescription medications, alcohol, tobacco, and sugar-rich products were also vital elements of the postwar pharmacy and will be featured in this article. What is more, this article focuses on a central debate between pharmacists during the postwar period about how pharmacies were shifting from the role of healer to that of a retailer - from a "conscientious guardian" to a "commercialized jungle" - in order to highlight how the public health role of pharmacies was undermined by industry pressures for profit. Based on unused corporate guides and manuals, company records, photographs, and management documents, this article will spotlight the underexplored interiority of pharmacies - the store's insides, processes of organization, and design features related to potentially habit-changing substances.
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Zeitouny S, McGrail K, Tadrous M, Wong ST, Cheng L, Law M. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prescription drug use and costs in British Columbia: a retrospective interrupted time series study. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e070031. [PMID: 38176877 PMCID: PMC10773331 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prescription drug use and costs. DESIGN Interrupted time series analysis of comprehensive administrative health data linkages in British Columbia, Canada, from 1 January 2018 to 28 March 2021. SETTING Retrospective population-based analysis of all prescription drugs dispensed in community pharmacies and outpatient hospital pharmacies and irrespective of the drug insurance payer. PARTICIPANTS Between 4.30 and 4.37 million individuals (52% women) actively registered with the publicly funded medical services plan. INTERVENTION COVID-19 pandemic and associated mitigation measures. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Weekly dispensing rates and costs, both overall and stratified by therapeutic groups and pharmacological subgroups, before and after the declaration of the public health emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Relative changes in post-COVID-19 outcomes were expressed as ratios of observed to expected rates. RESULTS After the onset of the pandemic and subsequent COVID-19 mitigation measures, overall medication dispensing rates dropped by 2.4% (p<0.01), followed by a sustained weekly increase to return to predicted levels by the end of January 2021. We observed abrupt level decreases in antibacterials (30.3%, p<0.01) and antivirals (22.4%, p<0.01) that remained below counterfactuals over the first year of the pandemic. In contrast, there was a week-to-week trend increase in nervous system drugs, yielding an overall increase of 7.3% (p<0.01). No trend changes in the dispensing of respiratory system agents, ACE inhibitors, antidiabetic drugs and antidepressants were detected. CONCLUSION The COVID-19 pandemic impact on prescription drug dispensing was heterogeneous across medication subgroups. As data become available, dispensing trends in nervous system agents, antibiotics and antivirals warrant further monitoring and investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seraphine Zeitouny
- Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kimberlyn McGrail
- Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mina Tadrous
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sabrina T Wong
- Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lucy Cheng
- Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael Law
- Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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15
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Sarig O. Pharmaceutical demand response to utilization management. J Health Econ 2024; 93:102830. [PMID: 38113754 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2023.102830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Prescription drug insurance increasingly imposes prior authorization (requiring providers to request coverage before claim approval) to manage utilization. Prior authorization has been criticized because of its administrative burden on providers. The primary alternative to managing utilization is imposing out-of-pocket (OOP) payment to incentivize beneficiaries to seek lower-cost care, effectively providing beneficiaries with partial insurance. Would beneficiaries prefer indirectly paying for prior authorization through higher premiums; or would they prefer prior authorization was replaced by higher OOP costs? This tradeoff depends on how much OOP costs could be displaced by prior authorization, which depends on their relative impact on demand. I estimate the effect of prior authorization and OOP costs on pharmaceutical demand in Medicare Part D, addressing endogeneity caused by unobserved drug quality and selection into plans. Despite criticism of prior authorization, I find that Medicare beneficiaries would prefer higher premiums to pay for prior authorization, over higher OOP costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oren Sarig
- Department of Economics, Yale University, United States of America.
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Curran J, Wang Y, Kang SY, Xuan A, Anderson G, Bai G, Caleb Alexander G. Characteristics of Prescription Drug Fills Using Pharmacy-Pharmacy Benefit Manager Discount Programs: The "GoodRx" Model. Value Health 2024; 27:35-42. [PMID: 37879400 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2023.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aimed to characterize products using pharmacy-pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) discounts and to estimate the association among such discounts, prescription utilization, and out-of-pocket costs. METHODS This is a retrospective cohort study using IQVIA's Formulary Impact Analyzer, which contains anonymized, individual-level pharmacy claims representing US retail pharmacy transactions. We focused on 20 products with the greatest number of transactions using a pharmacy-PBM discount. Our unit of analysis was a treatment episode, defined as the length of time from an incident fill to no continuous use for 60 consecutive days after allowing for indefinite stockpiling. Outcome measures included products with greatest pharmacy-PBM discount use, characteristics of treatment episodes, and out-of-pocket costs with and without pharmacy-PBM discount. RESULTS Across all products, 3.82% of transactions and 7.69% of treatment episodes were accompanied by a pharmacy-PBM discount. Commonly discounted products included generic treatments for chronic disease (lisinopril, levothyroxine, metformin) and neuropsychiatric conditions (alprazolam, amphetamine, buprenorphine, hydrocodone). The median postdiscount out-of-pocket cost was >2.5-fold higher during treatment episodes with a discount than those without ($15.15, interquartile range [IQR] $8.53-32.00, vs $5.88, IQR $1.40-15.00). Median treatment episode duration was 249 days (IQR 132-418) with discount use compared with 236 days (IQR 121-396) without discount use, although treatment episodes that began with a discount had fewer transactions per treatment episode and were shorter (median 212 days, IQR 114-360) than those that did not (313 days, IQR 178-500). CONCLUSIONS Pharmacy-PBM discounts may foster market competition and improve access for under- and uninsured individuals; however, these programs may not generate savings for many insured individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill Curran
- Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yuchen Wang
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - So-Yeon Kang
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Health Management and Policy, Georgetown University School of Health, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Andrew Xuan
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gerard Anderson
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ge Bai
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - G Caleb Alexander
- Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Division of General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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17
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Gold LS, Hansen RN, Mayer-Hamblett N, Nichols DP, Gifford AH, Kloster M, Goss CH, Kessler L. The cost of simplifying treatments for cystic fibrosis: Implications of the SIMPLIFY trial. J Manag Care Spec Pharm 2024; 30:26-33. [PMID: 38153868 PMCID: PMC10775778 DOI: 10.18553/jmcp.2024.30.1.26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dornase alfa and hypertonic saline are mucoactive therapies that can improve respiratory symptoms in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). A recent randomized control trial showed that participants with well-preserved pulmonary function taking elexacaftor + tezacaftor + ivacaftor (ETI) who discontinued dornase alfa or hypertonic saline for 6 weeks had no clinically meaningful decline in lung function. This may prompt discussions with care providers regarding ongoing use of these medications. OBJECTIVE To compare the costs of outpatient medications between people taking ETI who continued or discontinued (1) dornase alfa or (2) hypertonic saline from 2 clinical trials and project cost differences in the US CF population if these 2 medications were used only intermittently for symptom relief instead of chronically. METHODS The SIMPLIFY study was 2 parallel multicenter trials that randomized participants 1:1 to either continue or discontinue therapy. To estimate costs, we used data from the Merative MarketScan Databases to identify people with CF from 2020 to 2021. Our primary outcomes were differences in costs of outpatient prescription drugs among those who continued vs discontinued dornase alfa and, separately, hypertonic saline. We obtained adjusted differences in median costs. To estimate the annual cost savings if the population of people with CF taking ETI used these medications only intermittently, we multiplied the proportion of people in MarketScan with CF diagnoses who were taking each of these medications by the median cost savings per year and subtracted the cost of "rescue" use. RESULTS A total of 392 participants from the dornase alfa trial and 273 from the hypertonic saline trial were included in analyses. The adjusted difference in median medication costs was not significant for the hypertonic saline trial, but we observed a significantly decreased 6-week cost of medications in the dornase alfa trial (adjusted median difference in costs between discontinue and continue of $5,860 (95% CI = $4,870-$6,850); P < 0.0001). We estimated that two-thirds of people with CF use ETI and dornase alfa in the United States; if they discontinued dornase alfa except for intermittent use, the resulting annual savings would be $1.21 billion. CONCLUSIONS Although the costs of dornase alfa and hypertonic saline are smaller compared with ETI, reduction in use would lead to substantial prescription drug cost savings and reduce the treatment burden. However, individual benefits of these therapies should be considered, and decisions regarding changes in therapy remain an important discussion between people with CF and their providers. Study registration number: NCT04378153.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura S. Gold
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Ryan N. Hansen
- School of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Nicole Mayer-Hamblett
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, WA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle
| | | | - Alex H. Gifford
- Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | | | - Christopher H. Goss
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, WA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Larry Kessler
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle
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18
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Sznitman S, Mabouk C, Said Z, Vulfsons S. Opioid and healthcare service use in medical cannabis patients with chronic pain: a prospective study. BMJ Support Palliat Care 2023; 13:e464-e468. [PMID: 34521640 DOI: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2020-002661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Various jurisdictions have legalised medical cannabis (MC) for use in chronic pain treatment. The objective of this study was to determine if the use of MC is related to a reduction in the use of prescription opioids and other prescription medications and healthcare services. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the medical files of 68 Israeli patients with chronic pain using MC. Number of prescription medications filled and healthcare services used were recorded separately for the baseline period (6 months prior to the start of MC treatment) and 6 months' follow-up. Paired t-tests were used to compare each individual to himself/herself from baseline to follow-up. RESULTS Patients filled less opioid prescription medication at follow-up compared with baseline, and the reduction was of small effect size. There were no significant changes in the use of other medications or use of healthcare services from pre-MC treatment to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS MC may be related to a significant yet small reduction in opioid prescription medication. Further prospective studies with representative samples are warranted to confirm the potential small opioid-sparing effects of MC treatment, its clinical importance, if any, and potential lack of association with other healthcare-related services and medication use. Due to methodological limitations of the data used in this study, results may be regarded as preliminary and causal inferences cannot be made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Sznitman
- Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Carolyn Mabouk
- Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Zahi Said
- Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
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19
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He C, Kalagara R, Chennareddy S, Rodriguez N, Vahanan M, Mohammad A, Skovran D, Meah Y. Controlling Pharmaceutical Costs in a Student-Run Free Clinic in a Resource-Limited Patient Setting. J Community Health 2023; 48:913-918. [PMID: 37405614 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-023-01232-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Our institution's student-run free clinic has been able to offer medication at no out-of-pocket cost to all patients since it opened in 2004. We have employed two strategies to manage prescription drug costs while simultaneously increasing medication coverage: (1) using Patient Drug Assistance Programs (PDAPs) and (2) developing an institutional-level partnership with pharmaceutical charities for medication subsidization. In this study, we aimed to analyze the financial impact of these measures on the clinic.A query of clinic data over the past 5 years identified 299 active PDAPs, corresponding to 299 fully-subsidized prescriptions. In 2017, there were 35 active PDAPs, increasing to 52 (2018), 62 (2019), and 82 (2020) before a decline to 68 PDAPs in 2021. The company affiliated with the most PDAPs varied annually: GlaxoSmithKline (2017), Lilly (2018, 2019, 2020), and both GlaxoSmithKline and Lilly (2021). The most frequent medications were sitagliptin (2017), insulin (2018, 2019), albuterol (2017, 2018), and dulaglutide (2020, 2021).In addition, data extracted from the private company subsidization program was analyzed for the year 2021. Program membership was $10,000 for institution-wide medication subsidization for all uninsured patients in the hospital system. In total, the clinic was able to acquire 220 medications with a 96% subsidy, corresponding to a direct clinic cost of $2,101.28. Comparatively, the market value of these medications was $52,401.51.Utilization of free drug acquisition programs and partnerships with pharmaceutical charities allowed for an increase in cost-savings and medications provided. Although the process for applying for medication assistance programs is complex, these programs serve as powerful tools for providing medications that may otherwise be unavailable due to cost. Other clinics and healthcare settings with uninsured patients should consider these programs as a means to ease medication cost burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celestine He
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Nina Rodriguez
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Ayman Mohammad
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Skovran
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yasmin Meah
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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20
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Hoppe D, George Liu C, Khalil H. Health-care practitioner use of prescription drug monitoring programs in clinical practice in Australia: A qualitative study. Drug Alcohol Rev 2023; 42:1647-1657. [PMID: 37402606 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP) are electronic databases used by prescribers and pharmacists to monitor the use of high-risk prescription medications subject to extramedical use. This study aimed to explore how Australian pharmacists and prescribers are using PDMPs in practice and to gain an understanding of barriers to tool use, as well as practitioner recommendations to increase tool usability and uptake. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with pharmacists and prescribers who use a PDMP (n = 21). The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. RESULTS The four themes that emerged were: (i) PDMP notifications combined with practitioner clinical judgement guide PDMP usability; (ii) practitioners use PDMPs to facilitate patient and practitioner communication; (iii) workflow systems integration impacts tool usability; and (iv) optimising PDMP information and data access including practitioner-tool engagement to improve tool uptake and usability. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Practitioners appreciate the value of PDMP information support for clinical decisions and patient communication. However, they also acknowledge the challenges to tool use and recommend improvements including enhanced workflow, systems integration, optimisation of tool information and national data sharing. Practitioners provide an important perspective on PDMP use in clinical practice. The findings can be drawn on by PDMP administrators to improve tool usefulness. Consequently, this may lead to an increase in practitioner PDMP use and optimise the delivery of quality patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimi Hoppe
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Chaojie George Liu
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Hanan Khalil
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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21
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Yeung K, Cruz M, Tsiao E, Watkins JB, Sullivan SD. Drug use and spending under a formulary informed by cost-effectiveness. J Manag Care Spec Pharm 2023; 29:1175-1183. [PMID: 37889867 PMCID: PMC10778804 DOI: 10.18553/jmcp.2023.29.11.1175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The National Academy of Medicine has called for value-based drug formularies to address health plan prescription drug spending while maintaining access to high-value medicines. Thirty employer-sponsored plans implemented a "Value-Based Formulary-essentials" (VBF-e) program that uses cost-effectiveness evidence to inform cost-sharing and coverage exclusion. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if the VBF-e was associated with changes in medication use and patient out-of-pocket spending and health plan spending on prescription drugs and other health care. METHODS: This was a cohort study using a difference-in-differences design from 2015 through 2019 with 1 year of follow-up after VBF-e implementation at Premera Blue Cross, the largest nonprofit health plan in the Pacific Northwest. The VBF-e exposure group was composed of all individuals aged younger than 65 years and enrolled at least 12 months prior to their employer group's VBF-e implementation date. The contemporaneous control group was composed of propensity score-matched individuals with the same inclusion criteria but their employer group that did not implement VBF-e. We prespecified the following outcomes: days of medication on hand overall and by VBF-e tier (high-value generic, brand, and specialty drugs were in tiers 1 to 3, respectively, and low-value drugs were in tier 4 or excluded from coverage); prescription drug spending; and other health care use (emergency department visits, hospital days, and outpatient visits). RESULTS: Comparing 12,111 exposed (mean age = 36.0; 49.8% female sex) participants with 24,222 control participants (mean age = 34.7; 49.6% female sex), VBF-e reduced use of low-value drugs by 0.3 days per member per month (PMPM) (95% CI = -0.5 to -0.1; 17% decrease) for tier 4 drugs and 0.4 days PMPM (95% CI = -0.5 to -0.4; 83% decrease) for excluded drugs. High-value specialty drug use increased by 0.1 days PMPM (95% CI = 0.0-0.1; 123% increase). Health plan spending decreased by $14 PMPM (95% CI = -26 to -4) and member out-of-pocket spending increased by $1 PMPM (95% CI = 1-2). Other health care use did not change significantly. CONCLUSIONS: An exclusion formulary informed by cost-effectiveness evidence reduced low-value drug use, increased high-value specialty drug use, reduced health plan spending, and increased member out-of-pocket spending without increasing acute care use. DISCLOSURES: This research was supported by a grant from the Patrick and Catherine Weldon Donaghue Medical Research Foundation's Greater Value Portfolio Program. Study Registration Number: NCT04904055.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Yeung
- The Comparative Health Outcomes, Policy, and Economics (CHOICE) Institute, School of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Maricela Cruz
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Seattle
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle
| | | | - John B. Watkins
- The Comparative Health Outcomes, Policy, and Economics (CHOICE) Institute, School of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle
- Premera Blue Cross, Mountlake Terrace, WA
| | - Sean D. Sullivan
- The Comparative Health Outcomes, Policy, and Economics (CHOICE) Institute, School of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle
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22
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Lauffenburger JC, Barlev RA, Olatunji E, Brill G, Choudhry NK. Costs of Prescription Drugs for Children and Parental Adherence to Long-Term Medications. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2337971. [PMID: 37843860 PMCID: PMC10580109 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.37971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance The adverse effects of prescription drug costs on medication adherence and health have been well described for individuals. Because many families share financial resources, high medication costs for one could lead to cost-related nonadherence in another; however, these family-level spillover effects have not been explored. Objective To evaluate whether the cost of a child's newly initiated medication was associated with changes in their parent's adherence to their own medications and whether that differed by likely duration of treatment. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study used interrupted time-series analysis with a propensity score-matched control group from a large national US health insurer database (2010-2020) and included children initiating medication and their linked presumed parents using long-term medications. Exposure The cost of the child's initiated medication. Child medication cost was classified based on highest (≥90th) or lowest (<10th) decile from out-of-pocket medication spending, stratified by whether the medication was intended for short- or long-term use. Children initiating high-cost medications (based on the highest decile) were propensity-score matched with children initiating low-cost medications. Main Outcome and Measures The child's parent's adherence to long-term medication assessed by the widely used proportion of days covered metric in 30-day increments before and after the child's first fill date. Parent demographic characteristics, baseline adherence, and length of treatment, and family unit size and out-of-pocket medication spending were key subgroups. Results Across 47 154 included pairs, the parents' mean (SD) age was 42.8 (7.7) years. Compared with a low-cost medication, initiating a high-cost, long-term medication was associated with an immediate 1.9% (95% CI, -3.8% to -0.9%) reduction in parental adherence sustained over time (0.2%; 95% CI, -0.1% to 0.4%). Similar results were observed for short-term medications (0.6% immediate change; 95% CI, -1.3% to -0.01%). Previously adherent parents, parents using treatment for longer periods, and families who spent more out-of-pocket on medications were more sensitive to high costs, with immediate adherence reductions of 2.8% (95% CI, -4.9% to -0.6%), 2.7% (95% CI, -4.7% to -0.7%), and -3.8% (95% CI, -7.2% to -0.5%), respectively, after long-term medication initiation. Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study small reductions in adherence across parents with higher child drug costs were observed. Health care systems should consider child-level or even household-level spending in adherence interventions or prescription policy design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie C. Lauffenburger
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Healthcare Delivery Sciences (C4HDS), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Renee A. Barlev
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Healthcare Delivery Sciences (C4HDS), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Now with Vytalize Health
| | - Eniola Olatunji
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gregory Brill
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Niteesh K. Choudhry
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Healthcare Delivery Sciences (C4HDS), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Vaffis S, Dhatt H, Anderson E, Le D, Campbell PJ, Nelson M, Black H, Kolobova I, Axon DR, Warholak T. A checklist for a consistent, comprehensive medication review. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003) 2023; 63:1504-1507.e1. [PMID: 37394060 DOI: 10.1016/j.japh.2023.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Medicare Advantage Part D plans and stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans are required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to have qualified providers, including pharmacists, and offer annual comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs) for eligible Medicare beneficiaries. Although guidance on the components of a CMR is available, providers have flexibility in how to deliver the CMR to patients and which content to cover. With the variety of patient needs, CMR content is not always consistently delivered in practice. Our research group performed an extensive evaluation to create and test an ideal CMR content coverage checklist for CMR provision. CMR CONTENT CHECKLIST The CMR Content Checklist can be used for quality improvement purposes to evaluate the comprehensiveness of pharmacist services-to assess either within pharmacist variation across patients or within organization variations between pharmacists or sites. INCORPORATING THE CMR CONTENT CHECKLIST INTO PRACTICE Testing in a real-world setting demonstrated where gaps in service coverage existed. The CMR Content Checklist could be used as the first step for quality improvement given that it provides details on the key aspects of the service that can inform quality measure development.
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Mark Anderson D, Diris R, Montizaan R, Rees DI. The effects of becoming a physician on prescription drug use and mental health treatment. J Health Econ 2023; 91:102774. [PMID: 37451143 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2023.102774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
There is evidence that physicians disproportionately suffer from substance use disorder and mental health problems. It is not clear, however, whether these phenomena are causal. We use data on Dutch medical school applicants to examine the effects of becoming a physician on prescription drug use and the receipt of treatment from a mental health facility. Leveraging variation from lottery outcomes that determine admission into medical schools, we find that becoming a physician increases the use of antidepressants, anxiolytics, opioids, and sedatives. Increases in the use of antidepressants, anxiolytics, and sedatives are larger among female physicians than among their male counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Mark Anderson
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics, Montana State University, NBER, United States; IZA - Institute of Labor Economics, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Ron Diris
- Department of Economics, Leiden University, the Netherlands; IZA - Institute of Labor Economics, Bonn, Germany
| | - Raymond Montizaan
- Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market, Maastricht University, the Netherlands; IZA - Institute of Labor Economics, Bonn, Germany
| | - Daniel I Rees
- Department of Economics, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
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Schulz PJ, Crosignani F, Petrocchi S. Critical Test of the Beneficial Consequences of Lifting the Ban on Direct-to-Consumer Advertising for Prescription Drugs in Italy: Experimental Exposure and Questionnaire Study. J Med Internet Res 2023; 25:e40616. [PMID: 37459159 PMCID: PMC10390971 DOI: 10.2196/40616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are only two countries in the world (the United States and New Zealand) that allow the pharmaceutical branch to advertise prescription medication directly to consumers. There is pressure on governments to allow direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for prescription drugs elsewhere too. One argument the industry uses frequently is the claim that exposure to DCTA, through various methods and occasions, is supposed to improve customers' knowledge of a disease and treatment. This argument has been part of the health care community's wider discussion of whether DTCA of prescription drugs benefits the population's general interest or is only an attempt to increase the sales of the pharmaceutical branch. Belief in true learning by DTCA is rooted in concepts of empowered consumers and their autonomous and empowered decision-making. OBJECTIVE In this study, we tested the hypotheses that contact with DTCA increases recipients' literacy/knowledge, especially regarding the side effects of treatment (hypothesis 1), and empowerment (hypothesis 2). We further hypothesized that DTCA exposure would not increase depression knowledge (ie, about treatments, symptoms, and prevalence) (hypothesis 3). METHODS A snowball sample of 180 participants was randomly split into three experimental groups receiving (1) a traditional information sheet, (2) a DTCA video clip for an antidepressant prescription drug, or (3) both. The video was original material from the United States translated into Italian for the experiment. Dependent variables were measures of depression knowledge (regarding treatments, symptoms and prevalence, and antidepressant side effects), depression literacy, and empowerment. RESULTS None of the experimental groups differed significantly from the others in the empowerment measure (hypothesis 2 not confirmed). Partial confirmation of hypothesis 1 was obtained. Lower values on the depression literacy scale were obtained when participants had been given the video compared to the sheet condition. However, the general depression knowledge and its subscale on side effects reached higher scores when participants were exposed to the DTCA, alone or in combination with the information sheet. Finally, participants showed lower scores on knowledge about treatment and symptoms or prevalence after watching the video compared to the sheet condition (hypothesis 3 confirmed). Symptoms and prevalence knowledge increased only when the video was presented in combination with the sheet. CONCLUSIONS There is no evidence for an increase in empowerment following DTCA exposure. An increase in knowledge of the side effects of the medication was observed in the group exposed to the DTCA video. This was the only result that confirmed the hypothesis of the beneficial effect of DTCA videos on knowledge. Written information proved to be the most suitable way to convey knowledge on treatments and symptoms prevalence. Our findings support the necessity of studying health literacy and patient empowerment together and the consequences of such an increase in knowledge in terms of help-seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Johannes Schulz
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
- Department of Communication & Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information & Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Francesca Crosignani
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Serena Petrocchi
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
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Fravel MA, Ernst ME, Gilmartin-Thomas J, Woods RL, Orchard SG, Owen AJ. Dietary supplement and complementary and alternative medicine use among older adults in Australia and the United States. J Am Geriatr Soc 2023; 71:2219-2228. [PMID: 36852896 PMCID: PMC10460828 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.18305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dietary supplement and complementary and alternative medication (CAM) use can contribute to drug interactions, polypharmacy, nonadherence with prescription medications, and healthcare expenses, whereas evidence supporting benefits of using these products is sparse. There is a lack of current published literature describing the patterns or predictors of their use in community-dwelling older adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed a cross-sectional analysis of community-dwelling adults from Australia and the US, aged 70 years and older (65 years for US minorities), enrolled in the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) study. At study enrollment, eligible participants were required to be without concurrent 5-year life-limiting illness and free of documented evidence of cardiovascular disease, dementia, or significant physical disability. During the final study visit, a questionnaire was administered to collect information about supplement/CAM use. Data from 15,729 participants who completed this questionnaire between January 2017 and January 2018 were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to report the prevalence and types of products used. Factors associated with use were determined using multivariate regression. RESULTS Mean age of respondents was 79.6 years; 56.4% were female, 88.8% were from Australia, 56.5% reported 12 years of education or less, and 98.7% were living at home. Two-thirds (66.2%) of participants reported use of one or more supplement/CAM in the previous month. Products most commonly used included vitamin D (33.8% of participants), fish oil (22.7%), calcium (20.6%), glucosamine (14.8%), and multivitamin (12.9%). Female sex, US residency, higher education, polypharmacy (prescription medications), and frailty (in women) were significantly associated with higher use of supplements/CAMs. CONCLUSIONS Dietary supplement and CAM use is common among community-dwelling older adults in the United States and Australia. Given the high prevalence of use, collaboration between healthcare providers and older adult patients is important to insure safe and optimal use of these products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle A. Fravel
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, College of Pharmacy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Michael E. Ernst
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, College of Pharmacy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Family Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Julia Gilmartin-Thomas
- College of Health and Biomedicine & Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), St Albans, Victoria, Australia
| | - Robyn L. Woods
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Suzanne G. Orchard
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alice J. Owen
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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McGinty EE, Tormohlen KN, Seewald NJ, Bicket MC, McCourt AD, Rutkow L, White SA, Stuart EA. Effects of U.S. State Medical Cannabis Laws on Treatment of Chronic Noncancer Pain. Ann Intern Med 2023; 176:904-912. [PMID: 37399549 DOI: 10.7326/m23-0053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND State medical cannabis laws may lead patients with chronic noncancer pain to substitute cannabis in place of prescription opioid or clinical guideline-concordant nonopioid prescription pain medications or procedures. OBJECTIVE To assess effects of state medical cannabis laws on receipt of prescription opioids, nonopioid prescription pain medications, and procedures for chronic noncancer pain. DESIGN Using data from 12 states that implemented medical cannabis laws and 17 comparison states, augmented synthetic control analyses estimated laws' effects on receipt of chronic noncancer pain treatment, relative to predicted treatment receipt in the absence of the law. SETTING United States, 2010 to 2022. PARTICIPANTS 583 820 commercially insured adults with chronic noncancer pain. MEASUREMENTS Proportion of patients receiving any opioid prescription, nonopioid prescription pain medication, or procedure for chronic noncancer pain; volume of each treatment type; and mean days' supply and mean morphine milligram equivalents per day of prescribed opioids, per patient in a given month. RESULTS In a given month during the first 3 years of law implementation, medical cannabis laws led to an average difference of 0.05 percentage points (95% CI, -0.12 to 0.21 percentage points), 0.05 percentage points (CI, -0.13 to 0.23 percentage points), and -0.17 percentage points (CI, -0.42 to 0.08 percentage points) in the proportion of patients receiving any opioid prescription, any nonopioid prescription pain medication, or any chronic pain procedure, respectively, relative to what we predict would have happened in that month had the law not been implemented. LIMITATIONS This study used a strong nonexperimental design but relies on untestable assumptions involving parallel counterfactual trends. Statistical power is limited by the finite number of states. Results may not generalize to noncommercially insured populations. CONCLUSION This study did not identify important effects of medical cannabis laws on receipt of opioid or nonopioid pain treatment among patients with chronic noncancer pain. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE National Institute on Drug Abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma E McGinty
- Division of Health Policy and Economics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York (E.E.M.)
| | - Kayla N Tormohlen
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland (K.N.T., N.J.S., A.D.M., L.R., S.A.W.)
| | - Nicholas J Seewald
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland (K.N.T., N.J.S., A.D.M., L.R., S.A.W.)
| | - Mark C Bicket
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.C.B.)
| | - Alexander D McCourt
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland (K.N.T., N.J.S., A.D.M., L.R., S.A.W.)
| | - Lainie Rutkow
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland (K.N.T., N.J.S., A.D.M., L.R., S.A.W.)
| | - Sarah A White
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland (K.N.T., N.J.S., A.D.M., L.R., S.A.W.)
| | - Elizabeth A Stuart
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland (E.A.S.)
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Ly DP, Giuriato MA, Song Z. Changes in Prescription Drug and Health Care Use Over 9 Years After the Large Drug Price Increase for Colchicine. JAMA Intern Med 2023; 183:670-676. [PMID: 37155179 PMCID: PMC10167599 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.0898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Importance Prescription drug prices are a leading concern among patients and policy makers. There have been large and sharp price increases for some drugs, but the long-term implications of large drug price increases remain poorly understood. Objective To examine the association of the large 2010 price increase in colchicine, a common treatment for gout, with long-term changes in colchicine use, substitution with other drugs, and health care use. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study examined MarketScan data from a longitudinal cohort of patients with gout with employer-sponsored insurance from 2007 through 2019. Exposures The US Food and Drug Administration's discontinuation of lower-priced versions of colchicine from the market in 2010. Main Outcomes and Measures Mean price of colchicine; use of colchicine, allopurinol, and oral corticosteroids; and emergency department (ED) and rheumatology visits for gout in year 1 and over the first decade of the policy (through 2019) were calculated. Data were analyzed between November 16, 2021, and January 17, 2023. Results A total of 2 723 327 patient-year observations were examined from 2007 through 2019 (mean [SD] age of patients, 57.0 [13.8] years; 20.9% documented as female; 79.1% documented as male). The mean price per prescription of colchicine increased sharply from $11.25 (95% CI, $11.23-$11.28) in 2009 to $190.49 (95% CI, $190.07-$190.91) in 2011, a 15.9-fold increase, with the mean out-of-pocket price increasing 4.4-fold from $7.37 (95% CI, $7.37-$7.38) to $39.49 (95% CI, $39.42-$39.56). At the same time, colchicine use declined from 35.0 (95% CI, 34.6-35.5) to 27.3 (95% CI, 26.9-27.6) pills per patient in year 1 and to 22.6 (95% CI, 22.2-23.0) pills per patient in 2019. Adjusted analyses showed a 16.7% reduction in year 1 and a 27.0% reduction over the decade (P < .001). Meanwhile, adjusted allopurinol use rose by 7.8 (95% CI, 6.9-8.7) pills per patient in year 1, a 7.6% increase from baseline, and by 33.1 (95% CI, 32.6-33.7) pills per patient through 2019, a 32.0% increase from baseline over the decade (P < .001). Moreover, adjusted oral corticosteroid use exhibited no significant change in the first year, then increased by 1.5 (95% CI, 1.3-1.7) pills per patient through 2019, an 8.3% increase from baseline over the decade. Adjusted ED visits for gout rose by 0.02 (95% CI, 0.02-0.03) per patient in year 1, a 21.5% increase, and by 0.05 (95% CI, 0.04-0.05) per patient through 2019, a 39.8% increase over the decade (P < .001). Adjusted rheumatology visits for gout increased by 0.02 (95% CI, 0.02-0.03) per patient through 2019, a 10.5% increase over the decade (P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study among individuals with gout, the large increase in colchicine prices in 2010 was associated with an immediate decrease in colchicine use that persisted over approximately a decade. Substitution with allopurinol and oral corticosteroids was also evident. Increased ED and rheumatology visits for gout over the same period suggest poorer disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan P. Ly
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
- VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California
| | - Mia A. Giuriato
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Zirui Song
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Primary Care, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Tsele-Tebakang T, Morris-Eyton H, Pretorius E. Concurrent use of herbal and prescribed medicine by patients in primary health care clinics, South Africa. Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med 2023; 15:e1-e7. [PMID: 37403682 PMCID: PMC10319942 DOI: 10.4102/phcfm.v15i1.3829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of herbal medicine (HM) as a self-management practice for treating various diseases has gained popularity worldwide. Consumers co-administer herbal products with conventional medicine without the knowledge of possible herb-drug interaction (HDI). AIM This study aimed to assess patients' perception and use of HM and their knowledge of HDI. SETTING Participants attending primary health care (PHC) clinics in three provinces (Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Free State), South Africa, were recruited. METHODS Focus group discussions comprising a total of thirty (N = 30) participants were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Discussions were audio-recorded and then transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. RESULTS Reasons for using HM, sources of information on HM, co-administration of HM and prescribed medicine, disclosure of the use of HM, PHC nurses' attitudes and not having time to engage were frequently discussed. Respondents' lack of knowledge and perceptions about HDI and their dissatisfaction with prescribed medicine because of experienced side effects were also discussed. CONCLUSION Because of the lack of discussions and non-disclosure about HM in PHC clinics, patients are at risk of experiencing HDIs. Primary health care providers should regularly enquire about HM use on every patient, to identify and prevent HDIs. The lack of knowledge about HDIs by patients further compromises the safety of HM.Contribution: The results highlighted the lack of knowledge of HDI by patients thus assisting the healthcare stakeholders in South Africa to implement measures to educate patients attending PHC clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tebogo Tsele-Tebakang
- Department of Complementary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg.
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Glebov OO, Mueller C, Stewart R, Aarsland D, Perera G. Antidepressant drug prescription and incidence of COVID-19 in mental health outpatients: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Med 2023; 21:209. [PMID: 37340474 PMCID: PMC10283271 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-02877-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Currently, the main pharmaceutical intervention for COVID-19 is vaccination. While antidepressant (AD) drugs have shown some efficacy in treatment of symptomatic COVID-19, their preventative potential remains largely unexplored. Analysis of association between prescription of ADs and COVID-19 incidence in the population would be beneficial for assessing the utility of ADs in COVID-19 prevention. METHODS Retrospective study of association between AD prescription and COVID-19 diagnosis was performed in a cohort of community-dwelling adult mental health outpatients during the 1st wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Clinical record interactive search (CRIS) was performed for mentions of ADs within 3 months preceding admission to inpatient care of the South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust. Incidence of positive COVID-19 tests upon admission and during inpatient treatment was the primary outcome measure. RESULTS AD mention was associated with approximately 40% lower incidence of positive COVID-19 test results when adjusted for socioeconomic parameters and physical health. This association was also observed for prescription of ADs of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class. CONCLUSIONS This preliminary study suggests that ADs, and SSRIs in particular, may be of benefit for preventing COVID-19 infection spread in the community. The key limitations of the study are its retrospective nature and the focus on a mental health patient cohort. A more definitive assessment of AD and SSRI preventative potential warrants prospective studies in the wider demographic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg O Glebov
- Institute of Neuroregeneration and Neurorehabilitation, Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Shandong, China.
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Christoph Mueller
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Robert Stewart
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Dag Aarsland
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Centre for Age-Related Research, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Gayan Perera
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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McNabb M, Durante KA, Trocchio S, Ritter DJ, MacCaffrie R, Brum A, Mandile S, White S. Self-reported Medicinal Cannabis Use as an Alternative to Prescription and Over-the-counter Medication Use Among US Military Veterans. Clin Ther 2023; 45:562-577. [PMID: 37414507 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mental and other physical health concerns and substance use disorder are common and co-occurring events experienced by US veterans. Treatment with medicinal cannabis is a potential alternative to unwanted medication use for veterans, but more clinical and epidemiologic research is needed to understand the risks and benefits. METHODS Data were collected from a cross-sectional, self-reported, anonymous survey asking US veterans about their health conditions, medical treatments, demographics, and medicinal cannabis use along with its self-reported effectiveness. In addition to descriptive statistics, logistic regression models were run to examine correlates of the use of cannabis as a substitution for prescription or over-the-counter medications. FINDINGS A total of 510 veterans of US military service participated in the survey, which was administered between March 3 and December 31, 2019. The participants reported experiencing a variety of mental and other physical health conditions. Primary health conditions reported included chronic pain (196; 38%), PTSD (131; 26%), anxiety (47; 9%), and depression (26; 5%). Most participants (343; 67%) reported using cannabis daily. Many reported using cannabis to reduce the use of over-the-counter medications (151; 30%) including antidepressants (130; 25%), anti-inflammatories (89; 17%), and other prescription medications. Additionally, 463 veterans (91% of respondents) reported that medical cannabis helped them to experience a greater quality of life and 105 (21%) reported using fewer opioids as a result of their medical cannabis use. Veterans who were Black, who were female, who served in active combat, and who were living with chronic pain were more likely to report a desire to reduce the number of prescription medications they were taking (odds ratios = 2.92, 2.29, 1.79, and 2.30, respectively). Women and individuals who used cannabis daily were more likely to report active use of cannabis to reduce prescription medication use (odds ratios = 3.05 and 2.26). IMPLICATIONS Medicinal cannabis use was reported to improve quality of life and reduce unwanted medication use by many of the study participants. The present findings indicate that medicinal cannabis can potentially play a harm-reduction role, helping veterans to use fewer pharmaceutical medications and other substances. Clinicians should be mindful of the potential associations between race, sex, and combat experience and the intentions for and frequency of medicinal cannabis use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion McNabb
- Cannabis Center of Excellence Inc, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | | | - Sarah Trocchio
- Cannabis Center of Excellence Inc, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Sociology and Criminology, Rider University, Lawrenceville, New Jersey
| | - David J Ritter
- Cannabis Center of Excellence Inc, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Ann Brum
- Joint Venture & Co, Mansfield, Massachusetts
| | | | - Steven White
- Charlton College of Business, University of Massachusetts, North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
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Maghari S, Gallo T, Rivas S, German A, Nguyen Le MQ, Abbaszadegan H, Zubriski MA, Heise CW, Landas ND. Prescription medications with actionable pharmacogenomic recommendations in Veterans Health Administration patients. Pharmacogenomics 2023; 24:501-508. [PMID: 37435738 DOI: 10.2217/pgs-2023-0018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of medications with actionable pharmacogenomic (PGx) safety and efficacy recommendations in patients receiving care from the Veterans Health Administration. Materials & methods: Outpatient prescription data from 2011 to 2021 and any documented adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were reviewed for those who received PGx testing at one Veterans Administration location between November 2019 and October 2021. Results: Among the reviewed prescriptions, 381 (32.8%) were associated with an actionable recommendation based on the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) prescribing guidelines, with 205 (17.7%) for efficacy concerns and 176 (15.2%) for safety concerns. Among those with a documented ADR for a PGx-impacted medication, 39.1% had PGx results that aligned with CPIC recommendations. Conclusion: Medications with actionable PGx recommendations for safety and efficacy concerns are received with similar frequency, and most patients who have undergone PGx testing at the Phoenix Veterans Administration have received medications that may be impacted by PGx testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Maghari
- Phoenix VA Health Care System, Phoenix, AZ 85012, USA
| | - Tyler Gallo
- University of Arizona, College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Craig W Heise
- University of Arizona, College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - Noel D Landas
- Phoenix VA Health Care System, Phoenix, AZ 85012, USA
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Casula M, Ardoino I, Franchi C. Appropriateness of the Prescription and Use of Medicines: An Old Concept but More Relevant than Ever. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:2700. [PMID: 36768066 PMCID: PMC9915431 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The availability of drugs to treat diseases, control symptoms, or prevent their onset is one of the most important resources for maintaining health [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Casula
- Epidemiology and Preventive Pharmacology Service (SEFAP), Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy
- IRCCS MultiMedica, Sesto S. Giovanni, 20099 Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Ardoino
- Laboratory of Pharmacoepidemiology and Human Nutrition, Department of Health Policy, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Carlotta Franchi
- Laboratory of Pharmacoepidemiology and Human Nutrition, Department of Health Policy, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
- Italian Institute for Planetary Health (IIPH), 20156 Milan, Italy
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Lei L, Samus QM, Thomas KS, Maust DT. Medication Costs and Use of Older Americans in Assisted Living Settings: a Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study. J Gen Intern Med 2023; 38:294-301. [PMID: 35132546 PMCID: PMC9905365 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-022-07434-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Assisted-living (AL) settings are an important residential care option for old and disabled Americans, but there are no national data characterizing medication use in AL. OBJECTIVE To investigate medication costs and use of older adults living in the AL settings compared to those in the community, independent living, and nursing home settings. DESIGN 2015 National Health and Aging Trends Study; nationally representative cross-sectional study. PATICIPANTS Respondents ≥ 65 years with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage (n = 5980, representing 32.34 million older adults). MEASURES Total Part D medication costs; number of 30-day prescription fills; binary indicators for overall polypharmacy (≥ 5 and ≥ 10 concurrent medications), prescription fills of opioid and psychotropic medications including antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, gabapentinoids, antidepressants, and central nervous system-active (CNS-active) polypharmacy. RESULTS Adjusting for demographics, the annual medication costs among AL residents, at $3890, were twice as high as those of their community-dwelling counterparts ($1932; p < .01). All medication outcomes except opioids were higher for older adults in AL compared to community settings. While the adjusted number of 30-day prescription fills among AL residents was slightly lower than that of nursing home residents (89.5 vs. 106.2; p < .05), AL residents experienced equivalent rates of overall polypharmacy ≥ 10 medications (30.2% vs. 23.5%), antipsychotics (30.8% vs. 27.8%), benzodiazepines (30.7% vs. 32.6%), gabapentinoids (21.2% vs. 16.1%), and CNS-active polypharmacy (26.0% vs. 36.9%; p > .05 for all). Patterns of use across settings were consistent when limited to older adults with dementia. CONCLUSIONS Older Americans in AL experience a prescription medication burden similar to those in nursing homes. AL settings have an important opportunity to ensure their medication-related clinical services and supports match the needs of their residents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianlian Lei
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Quincy M Samus
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kali S Thomas
- Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
- Center of Innovation in Long-Term Services and Supports, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Donovan T Maust
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Tardelli VS, Berro LF, Gerra G, Tadonio L, Bisaga A, Fidalgo TM. Prescription psychostimulants for cocaine use disorder: A review from molecular basis to clinical approach. Addict Biol 2023; 28:e13271. [PMID: 37016755 PMCID: PMC10499006 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine use is a public health concern in many countries worldwide, particularly in the Americas and Oceania. Overdose deaths involving stimulants, such as cocaine, have been increasing markedly in North America, especially with concurrent opioid involvement. To date, no pharmacological treatment is available to treat stimulant (including cocaine) use disorders. Prescription psychostimulants (PPs) could be useful to treat cocaine use disorder (CUD) as they share the pharmacological effects with cocaine, as evidenced by a recent meta-analysis that assessed 38 randomized clinical trials (RCTs). PPs were found to promote sustained abstinence and reduce drug use in patients with CUD. The aim of this paper is to provide a narrative review of the clinical pharmacology of PPs and comment on the current stage of evidence supporting PPs to treat CUD. We also propose a model of care that integrates PPs with evidence-based psychosocial interventions (such as cognitive-behavioural therapy [CBT] and contingency management [CM]), a harm reduction approach and case management with social support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitor S. Tardelli
- Departamento de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (Unifesp), Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lais F. Berro
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississipi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Gilberto Gerra
- Mental Health Department, Azienda Unitá Sanitaria Locale, Parma, Italy
| | - Leonardo Tadonio
- Mental Health Department, Azienda Unitá Sanitaria Locale, Parma, Italy
| | - Adam Bisaga
- The Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thiago M. Fidalgo
- Departamento de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (Unifesp), Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Young Leaders Program from the National Academy of Medicine, Brazil
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Claridy MD, Perez NP, Czepiel KS, Acholonu NO, Stanford FC. Association Between Weight Promoting Medication Use and Weight Status Among Children and Adolescents in the United States. Acad Pediatr 2023; 23:102-108. [PMID: 35533966 PMCID: PMC10042467 DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2022.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to 1) examine the prevalence of prescription medication use overall and 2) examine the association between weight promoting medication (WPM) use by therapeutic class and weight status among a nationally representative sample of the children and adolescents in the United States. This study also further investigated antidepressant medication use among this population. METHODS This cross-sectional study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2013 to 2018. Children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 years were included in this study. RESULTS Of the 68,057,468 derived participants (34,507,154 [50.7%] male; 33,564,059 [49.3%] aged 2-10 years; 34,905,058 [51.3%] non-Hispanic White), 14,895,618 (22.2%) used a prescription medication in the prior 30 days, 21.7% (3,235,323) of which were considered weight promoting. There was no significant difference between weight status and WPM use for overall prescription medication use. Nevertheless, for overall antidepressant medication use, those with obesity were less likely to be prescribed antidepressant WPM when compared to those with normal weight (adjusted odds ratios 0.4; 95% confidence interval 0.2-0.7). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that although there was no significant association between WPM use and weight status overall when examining the association by therapeutic class, most children with obesity were not using antidepressant WPM. This is reassuring and potentially an active attempt at avoiding the use of medications that have an exacerbating effect on weight gain. When choosing antidepressant medications, providers, parents, and patients consider the WPM effects and appropriately choose a medication best suited to the child's health status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mechelle D Claridy
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Georgia (MD Claridy), Athens, Ga
| | - Numa P Perez
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School (NP Perez), Boston, Mass
| | - Kathryn S Czepiel
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine (KS Czepiel), Stanford, Calif
| | - Nonyerem O Acholonu
- Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School (NO Acholonu), Boston, Mass
| | - Fatima Cody Stanford
- Department of Medicine, Neuroendocrine Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School (FC Stanford), Boston, Mass.
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Betts KR, O’Donoghue AC, Johnson M, Boudewyns V, Paquin RS. Detecting and Reporting Deceptive Prescription Drug Promotion: Differences Across Consumer and Physician Audiences and by Number and Type of Deceptive Claims and Tactics. Health Commun 2022; 37:1609-1621. [PMID: 33840305 PMCID: PMC9511828 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2021.1909264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Bad Ad program provides an avenue for healthcare providers to report false or misleading prescription drug promotion. Yet, whether healthcare providers can detect such promotion, and whether they believe it should be reported to FDA, remain open questions. Consumer audiences may also be capable of detecting such promotion and believe it should be reported, but even less is known about capability and belief in this population. Across two experiments using mock pharmaceutical websites, this research investigated capability to detect and inclination to report deceptive prescription drug promotion among a sample of primary care physicians and consumers. Study 1 varied the number of deceptive claims and tactics on a website for a chronic pain medication, operationalized as none, two, or five. Study 2 varied the type of deceptive content on a website for a weight loss medication, operationalized as none, implicit, or explicit. Findings reveal that, in line with expectations from FDA's Bad Ad program, physicians can detect deceptive promotion and tend to believe it should be reported. Consumers are also capable of detecting deceptive promotion and tend to believe it should be reported, but their capabilities and beliefs regarding reporting are generally lower.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R. Betts
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Prescription Drug Promotion, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD, USA 20993
| | - Amie C. O’Donoghue
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Prescription Drug Promotion, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD, USA 20993
| | - Mihaela Johnson
- RTI International, Center for Communication Science, 3040 E. Cornwallis Rd., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA 27709
| | - Vanessa Boudewyns
- RTI International, Center for Communication Science, 3040 E. Cornwallis Rd., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA 27709
| | - Ryan S. Paquin
- RTI International, Center for Communication Science, 3040 E. Cornwallis Rd., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA 27709
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Mazmudar RS, Tripathi R, Bordeaux JS, Scott JF. Trends in brand and generic drug utilization for dermatology providers from 2013–2019. Arch Dermatol Res 2022; 315:1041-1044. [PMID: 36309878 DOI: 10.1007/s00403-022-02431-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prescription drug costs have risen considerably in the United States and are projected to reach $560 billion by 2028. OBJECTIVE To evaluate brand and generic drug utilization and cost proportions within Medicare Part D. METHODS Prescription data for dermatology providers were obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2013-2019 Medicare Part D Prescribers by Provider datasets. Percentage of brand vs. generic drug claims and costs and cumulative annual growth rates (CAGRs) were calculated. For the most recent year of data (2019), we conducted additional sub-analyses for calculated percentages by prescriber variables. RESULTS The proportion of brand drug claims increased from 7.4% (in 2013) to 10.5% (2019) with a CAGR of 8.66%. In comparison, generic drug claims increased at a lower rate (CAGR 4.47%). The percentage of brand drug costs increased from 27.5% (in 2013) to 75.1% (2019). LIMITATIONS Inability to assess and generalize data for prescription patterns under non-Medicare plans. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates a disproportionate rise in dermatologic brand drug claims and a substantial increase in costs associated with brand drugs. Brand-name drugs are associated with higher out-of-pocket expenses for patients, which can lead to decreased access and adherence to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishabh S Mazmudar
- MetroHealth System/Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2500 Metrohealth Dr, Cleveland, OH, 44109, U.S.A..
| | - Raghav Tripathi
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A
| | - Jeremy S Bordeaux
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, U.S.A
| | - Jeffrey F Scott
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A
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Kanter GP, Parikh RB, Fisch MJ, Debono D, Bekelman J, Xu Y, Schauder S, Sylwestrzak G, Barron JJ, Cobb R, Qato DM, Jacobson M. Trends in Medically Integrated Dispensing Among Oncology Practices. JCO Oncol Pract 2022; 18:e1672-e1682. [PMID: 35830621 PMCID: PMC9835967 DOI: 10.1200/op.22.00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The integration of pharmacies with oncology practices-known as medically integrated dispensing or in-office dispensing-could improve care coordination but may incentivize overprescribing or inappropriate prescribing. Because little is known about this emerging phenomenon, we analyzed historical trends in medically integrated dispensing. METHODS Annual IQVIA data on oncologists were linked to 2010-2019 National Council for Prescription Drug Programs pharmacy data; data on commercially insured patients diagnosed with any of six common cancer types; and summary data on providers' Medicare billing. We calculated the national prevalence of medically integrated dispensing among community and hospital-based oncologists. We also analyzed the characteristics of the oncologists and patients affected by this care model. RESULTS Between 2010 and 2019, the percentage of oncologists in practices with medically integrated dispensing increased from 12.8% to 32.1%. The share of community oncologists in dispensing practices increased from 7.6% to 28.3%, whereas the share of hospital-based oncologists in dispensing practices increased from 18.3% to 33.4%. Rates of medically integrated dispensing varied considerably across states. Oncologists who dispensed had higher patient volumes (P < .001) and a smaller share of Medicare beneficiaries (P < .001) than physicians who did not dispense. Patients treated by dispensing oncologists had higher risk and comorbidity scores (P < .001) and lived in areas with a higher % Black population (P < .001) than patients treated by nondispensing oncologists. CONCLUSION Medically integrated dispensing has increased significantly among oncology practices over the past 10 years. The reach, clinical impact, and economic implications of medically integrated dispensing should be evaluated on an ongoing basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve P. Kanter
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Ravi B. Parikh
- Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | | | - Justin Bekelman
- Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Yao Xu
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | | | | | | | - Dima M. Qato
- Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
- Program on Medicines and Public Health, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Mireille Jacobson
- Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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Glynn A, Hernandez I, Roberts ET. Consequences of forgoing prescription drug subsidies among low-income Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes. Health Serv Res 2022; 57:1136-1144. [PMID: 35430735 PMCID: PMC9441281 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.13990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective is to estimate the take-up of the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) among Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes and examine differences in out-of-pocket costs and prescription drug use between LIS enrollees and LIS-eligible non-enrollees. The LIS reduces out-of-pocket drug costs for low-income beneficiaries; however, not all LIS-eligible individuals are enrolled. Take-up of the LIS, and consequences of forgoing this benefit among beneficiaries with diabetes, remains unknown. DATA SOURCES Health and Retirement Study linked to Medicare administrative data from 2008 to 2016. STUDY DESIGN We conducted two analyses among beneficiaries with diabetes. First, we estimated LIS take-up stratified by income (≤100% of the Federal Poverty Level [FPL] and >100% to ≤150% of FPL). Second, to assess the consequences of forgoing the LIS among near-poor beneficiaries (incomes >100% to ≤150% of FPL), we conducted propensity score-weighted regression analyses to compare out-of-pocket costs, the prescription drug use, and cost-related medication non-adherence among LIS enrollees and LIS-eligible non-enrollees. DATA COLLECTION/DATA EXTRACTION N/A. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Among Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, 68.1% of those with incomes >100% to ≤150% of FPL received the LIS, while 90.3% with incomes ≤100% of FPL received the LIS. Among near-poor beneficiaries, LIS-eligible non-enrollees incurred higher annual out-of-pocket drug spending ($518; 95 [in USD]% CI: $370 [in USD], $667 [in USD]; p < 0.001), filled 7.3 fewer prescriptions for diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia drugs (95% CI: -11.1, -3.5; p < 0.001), and were 8.9 percentage points more likely to report skipping drugs due to cost (95% CI: 0.3, 18.0; p = 0.04), all compared to LIS enrollees. CONCLUSIONS Despite providing substantial financial assistance with prescription drug costs, the LIS is under-utilized among beneficiaries with chronic conditions requiring routine medication use. As policy makers discuss Part D reforms to address rising out-of-pocket drug costs, they should consider strategies to increase participation in existing programs that alleviate cost burdens among low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Glynn
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Public HealthUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Inmaculada Hernandez
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of California San DiegoLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Eric T. Roberts
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Public HealthUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
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Iacobucci G. Patients cut back on drugs to save on prescription fees as cost of living crisis bites. BMJ 2022; 378:o2363. [PMID: 36180079 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.o2363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Fujii Y, Hirokawa K, Kobuke Y, Kubota T, Yoshitake T, Haraguchi K, Honda Y, Kobayashi H, Harada KH. Use of Nonprescription and Prescription Drugs and Drug Information Sources among Breastfeeding Women in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:11722. [PMID: 36141994 PMCID: PMC9517648 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Breastfeeding women may experience various health issues that require medication. This survey aimed to gain insights into the use of nonprescription and prescription drugs by breastfeeding women in Japan. A cross-sectional study involving women with children aged under two years was conducted in Fukuoka, Japan. Nonprescription drugs were used by 26% of participants in the breastfed-only group, 41% in the breastfed more than half the time group, 55% in the formula-fed more than half the time group, and 82% in the formula-fed-only group. We found that when breastfeeding rates decreased, the use of nonprescription drugs increased (p < 0.05, Cochran-Armitage test for trend). There were significant differences in the use of nonprescription cold medicines and oral analgesics between the formula-fed and breastfed groups, but a nonsignificant difference in prescription drugs use between the groups. These results indicated breastfeeding had a significant influence on use of nonprescription drugs, which was not observed with prescription drugs. Breastfeeding women commonly used the Internet to obtain information on both nonprescription and prescription drugs; however, this did not influence medication use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukiko Fujii
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, Fukuoka 815-8511, Japan
| | | | - Yuko Kobuke
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, Fukuoka 815-8511, Japan
| | - Toshio Kubota
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, Fukuoka 815-8511, Japan
| | - Taketo Yoshitake
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, Fukuoka 815-8511, Japan
| | - Koichi Haraguchi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, Fukuoka 815-8511, Japan
| | - Yukiko Honda
- Department of Community Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Hatasu Kobayashi
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie 514-8507, Japan
| | - Kouji H. Harada
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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Miregwa BN, Holbrook A, Law MR, Lavis JN, Thabane L, Dolovich L, Wilson MG. The impact of OHIP+ pharmacare on use and costs of public drug plans among children and youth in Ontario: a time-series analysis. CMAJ Open 2022; 10:E848-E855. [PMID: 36167420 PMCID: PMC9578752 DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20210295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2018, Ontario implemented a pharmacare program (Ontario Health Insurance Plan Plus [OHIP+]) to provide children and youth younger than 25 years with full coverage for prescription medications in the provincial formulary. We aimed to assess the use of public drug plans and costs of publicly covered prescriptions before and after the program's implementation and modification. METHODS We conducted a population-based, interrupted time-series analysis using data on prescription drug claims, from the Canadian Institute for Health Information's National Prescription Drug Utilization Information System, for people younger than 25 years from January 2016 to October 2019 in Ontario, using British Columbia as the control. We assessed changes in the level and trend of publicly covered prescriptions and expenditures after the introduction of OHIP+ in January 2018 and after program modifications in April 2019. We also assessed plan use and expenditures for publicly covered prescriptions for diabetes and asthma. RESULTS Publicly covered prescriptions in Ontario increased by 290%, from 756 per 1000 people before OHIP+ to 2952 per 1000 (p < 0.001) after its implementation. After program modification, prescriptions decreased by 52% to 1421 per 1000 (p < 0.001). Similarly, total public drug expenditures increased by 254%, from $379 million in 2017 to $839 million in 2018, then reduced by 49% to $204 million in 2019. Monthly public plan expenditures increased by $115.94 (95% confidence interval [CI] $100.93 to $130.94) post-OHIP+ implementation and decreased by $99.97 (95% CI -$119.79 to -$80.15) per person per month after April 2019. INTERPRETATION Adopting OHIP+ increased use of public drug plans and expenditures for publicly funded prescription medicines, and the program modification was associated with decreases in both outcomes. This study's findings can inform the national pharmacare debate; future research should investigate associations with health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benard N Miregwa
- Health Policy PhD Program (Miregwa), and Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology (Holbrook), and Department of Health Evidence and Impact (Holbrook, Lavis, Thabane, Dolovich, Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Centre for Health Services and Policy Research (Law), School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; McMaster Health Forum (Lavis, Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy (Dolovich), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.
| | - Anne Holbrook
- Health Policy PhD Program (Miregwa), and Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology (Holbrook), and Department of Health Evidence and Impact (Holbrook, Lavis, Thabane, Dolovich, Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Centre for Health Services and Policy Research (Law), School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; McMaster Health Forum (Lavis, Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy (Dolovich), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont
| | - Michael R Law
- Health Policy PhD Program (Miregwa), and Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology (Holbrook), and Department of Health Evidence and Impact (Holbrook, Lavis, Thabane, Dolovich, Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Centre for Health Services and Policy Research (Law), School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; McMaster Health Forum (Lavis, Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy (Dolovich), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont
| | - John N Lavis
- Health Policy PhD Program (Miregwa), and Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology (Holbrook), and Department of Health Evidence and Impact (Holbrook, Lavis, Thabane, Dolovich, Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Centre for Health Services and Policy Research (Law), School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; McMaster Health Forum (Lavis, Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy (Dolovich), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont
| | - Lehana Thabane
- Health Policy PhD Program (Miregwa), and Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology (Holbrook), and Department of Health Evidence and Impact (Holbrook, Lavis, Thabane, Dolovich, Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Centre for Health Services and Policy Research (Law), School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; McMaster Health Forum (Lavis, Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy (Dolovich), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont
| | - Lisa Dolovich
- Health Policy PhD Program (Miregwa), and Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology (Holbrook), and Department of Health Evidence and Impact (Holbrook, Lavis, Thabane, Dolovich, Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Centre for Health Services and Policy Research (Law), School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; McMaster Health Forum (Lavis, Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy (Dolovich), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont
| | - Michael G Wilson
- Health Policy PhD Program (Miregwa), and Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology (Holbrook), and Department of Health Evidence and Impact (Holbrook, Lavis, Thabane, Dolovich, Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Centre for Health Services and Policy Research (Law), School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; McMaster Health Forum (Lavis, Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy (Dolovich), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (Wilson), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont
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Raman S, Bradford AC. Recreational cannabis legalizations associated with reductions in prescription drug utilization among Medicaid enrollees. Health Econ 2022; 31:1513-1521. [PMID: 35429072 DOI: 10.1002/hec.4519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The potential substitution of cannabis for prescription medication has attracted a substantial amount of attention within the context of medical cannabis laws (MCLs). However, much less is known about the association between recreational cannabis laws (RCLs) and prescription drug use. With recent evidence supporting substitution of cannabis for prescription drugs following MCLs, it is reasonable to ask what effect RCLs may have on those outcomes. We use quarterly data for all Medicaid prescriptions from 2011 to 2019 to investigate the effect of state-level RCLs on prescription drug utilization. We estimate this effect with a series of two-way fixed effects event study models. We find significant reductions in the volume of prescriptions within the drug classes that align with the medical indications for pain, depression, anxiety, sleep, psychosis, and seizures. Our results suggest substitution away from prescription drugs and potential cost savings for state Medicaid programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyam Raman
- Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Ashley C Bradford
- O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
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Barrett LA, Xing A, Sheffler J, Steidley E, Adam TJ, Zhang R, He Z. Assessing the use of prescription drugs and dietary supplements in obese respondents in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269241. [PMID: 35657782 PMCID: PMC9165812 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Obesity is a common disease and a known risk factor for many other conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Treatment options for obesity include lifestyle changes, pharmacotherapy, and surgical interventions such as bariatric surgery. In this study, we examine the use of prescription drugs and dietary supplements by the individuals with obesity. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data 2003–2018. We used multivariate logistic regression to analyze the correlations of demographics and obesity status with the use of prescription drugs and dietary supplement use. We also built machine learning models to classify prescription drug and dietary supplement use using demographic data and obesity status. Results Individuals with obesity are more likely to take cardiovascular agents (OR = 2.095, 95% CI 1.989–2.207) and metabolic agents (OR = 1.658, 95% CI 1.573–1.748) than individuals without obesity. Gender, age, race, poverty income ratio, and insurance status are significantly correlated with dietary supplement use. The best performing model for classifying prescription drug use had the accuracy of 74.3% and the AUROC of 0.82. The best performing model for classifying dietary supplement use had the accuracy of 65.3% and the AUROC of 0.71. Conclusions This study can inform clinical practice and patient education of the use of prescription drugs and dietary supplements and their correlation with obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A. Barrett
- School of Information, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Aiwen Xing
- Department of Statistics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Julia Sheffler
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Steidley
- School of Information, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Terrence J. Adam
- Institute for Health Informatics and College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Rui Zhang
- Institute for Health Informatics and College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Zhe He
- School of Information, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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46
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Tsui JI. Stimulant Prescription Medications Among Persons Receiving Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder With Prior Drug-Related Poisoning-Evidence of Net-Sum Gain. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2211641. [PMID: 35544141 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.11641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Judith I Tsui
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
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Srinivasan V, Bloom DE, Khoury A. Forecasting the Incremental Value to Society Created by a Class of New Prescription Drugs: A Proposed Methodology and Its Application to Treating Chronic Hepatitis C in India. Appl Health Econ Health Policy 2022; 20:371-381. [PMID: 35275389 DOI: 10.1007/s40258-022-00725-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND For low- and middle-income countries, the forecasted incremental value to society created by a class of new prescription drugs would be a useful criterion to prioritize the licensing, subsidization, and provision of new drugs. OBJECTIVES We provide a methodology to forecast the value of a new class of drugs, defined as the incremental value obtained in the scenario in which the new class of drugs is available along with existing drugs compared with the scenario of existing drugs only. We forecasted the value created by direct-acting antiviral drugs to treat chronic hepatitis C in India. METHOD We conducted a physician survey together with an aggregate multinomial logit model to forecast for each patient type the fraction of physicians who would prescribe the new drug under different scenarios. Value was determined by the monetary equivalent of increased life expectancy, reduced disability, and decreased future infection of others, minus drug cost, all treatment-related costs, and the cost of side effects. RESULTS We forecasted that the introduction of direct-acting antiviral drugs is likely to create USD11.5 billion of value in India over a 5-year period, based on a 'realistic' assumption about the growth rate of India's per capita GDP. Under 'pessimistic' and 'optimistic' assumptions about the growth rate, the value changes to USD6.5 and 22.5 billion, respectively. CONCLUSIONS There is major value likely to be created by the new direct-acting antiviral drugs in treating hepatitis C in India; this is consistent with the Indian Government's decision to provide the drugs free of cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Srinivasan
- Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - David E Bloom
- Department of Global Health and Population, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alex Khoury
- T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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48
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Wu K, Messamore E. Reimagining Roles of Dietary Supplements in Psychiatric Care. AMA J Ethics 2022; 24:E437-E442. [PMID: 35575575 DOI: 10.1001/amajethics.2022.437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite impressive pharmaceutical advances, mental illness remains a leading cause of suffering and disability. Although some dietary supplements appear to respond to some needs not met by prescription medications, several obstacles prevent their study or use. This article proposes government-supported review and safety monitoring of supplements' use in caring for patients with mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Wu
- Intern physician at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio
| | - Erik Messamore
- Associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown, Ohio
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D’Aloja P, Da Cas R, Belleudi V, Fortinguerra F, Poggi FR, Perna S, Trotta F, Donati S. Drug Prescriptions among Italian and Immigrant Pregnant Women Resident in Italy: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:ijerph19074186. [PMID: 35409869 PMCID: PMC8998753 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19074186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Ensuring drug safety for pregnant women through prescription drug monitoring is essential. The aim of this study was to describe the prescription pattern of medicines among pregnant immigrant women from countries with high migratory pressure (HMPCs) compared to pregnant Italian women. The prevalence of drug prescriptions among the two study populations was analysed through record linkage procedures applied to the administrative databases of eight Italian regions, from 2016 to 2018. The overall prevalence of drug prescription was calculated considering all women who received at least one prescription during the study period. Immigrants had a lower prevalence of drug prescriptions before (51.0% vs. 58.6%) and after pregnancy (55.1% vs. 60. 3%). Conversely, during pregnancy, they obtained a slightly higher number of prescriptions (74.9% vs. 72.8%). The most prescribed class of drugs was the blood and haematopoietic organs category (category ATC B) (56.4% vs. 45.9%, immigrants compared to Italians), followed by antimicrobials (31.3% vs. 33.7%). Most prescriptions were appropriate, while folic acid administration 3 months before conception was low for both study groups (3.9% immigrants and 6.2% Italians). Progesterone seemingly was prescribed against early pregnancy loss, more frequently among Italians (16.5% vs. 8.1% immigrants). Few inappropriate medications were prescribed among antihypertensives, statins and anti-inflammatory drugs in both study groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola D’Aloja
- National Centre for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health), 00161 Rome, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Roberto Da Cas
- National Centre for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health), 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Valeria Belleudi
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, 00145 Rome, Italy; (V.B.); (F.R.P.)
| | - Filomena Fortinguerra
- HTA & Pharmaceutical Economy Division, Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), 00187 Rome, Italy; (F.F.); (S.P.); (F.T.)
| | - Francesca Romana Poggi
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, 00145 Rome, Italy; (V.B.); (F.R.P.)
| | - Serena Perna
- HTA & Pharmaceutical Economy Division, Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), 00187 Rome, Italy; (F.F.); (S.P.); (F.T.)
| | - Francesco Trotta
- HTA & Pharmaceutical Economy Division, Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), 00187 Rome, Italy; (F.F.); (S.P.); (F.T.)
| | - Serena Donati
- National Centre for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health), 00161 Rome, Italy;
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Guindon GE, Fatima T, Garasia S, Khoee K. A systematic umbrella review of the association of prescription drug insurance and cost-sharing with drug use, health services use, and health. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:297. [PMID: 35241088 PMCID: PMC8895849 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-07554-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing spending and use of prescription drugs pose an important challenge to governments that seek to expand health insurance coverage to improve population health while controlling public expenditures. Patient cost-sharing such as deductibles and coinsurance is widely used with aim to control healthcare expenditures without adversely affecting health. METHODS We conducted a systematic umbrella review with a quality assessment of included studies to examine the association of prescription drug insurance and cost-sharing with drug use, health services use, and health. We searched five electronic bibliographic databases, hand-searched eight specialty journals and two working paper repositories, and examined references of relevant reviews. At least two reviewers independently screened the articles, extracted the characteristics, methods, and main results, and assessed the quality of each included study. RESULTS We identified 38 reviews. We found consistent evidence that having drug insurance and lower cost-sharing among the insured were associated with increased drug use while the lack or loss of drug insurance and higher drug cost-sharing were associated with decreased drug use. We also found consistent evidence that the poor, the chronically ill, seniors and children were similarly responsive to changes in insurance and cost-sharing. We found that drug insurance and lower drug cost-sharing were associated with lower healthcare services utilization including emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and outpatient visits. We did not find consistent evidence of an association between drug insurance or cost-sharing and health. Lastly, we did not find any evidence that the association between drug insurance or cost-sharing and drug use, health services use or health differed by socioeconomic status, health status, age or sex. CONCLUSIONS Given that the poor or near-poor often report substantially lower drug insurance coverage, universal pharmacare would likely increase drug use among lower-income populations relative to higher-income populations. On net, it is probable that health services use could decrease with universal pharmacare among those who gain drug insurance. Such cross-price effects of extending drug coverage should be included in costing simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Emmanuel Guindon
- Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, McMaster University, Room 229, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
- Department of Economics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
| | - Tooba Fatima
- Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, McMaster University, Room 229, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Sophiya Garasia
- Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, McMaster University, Room 229, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Kimia Khoee
- Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, McMaster University, Room 229, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
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