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Thunbo MØ, Vendelbo JH, Witte DR, Larsen A, Pedersen LH. Use of medication in pregnancy on the rise: Study on 1.4 million Danish pregnancies from 1998 to 2018. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2024; 103:1210-1223. [PMID: 38491733 PMCID: PMC11103131 DOI: 10.1111/aogs.14805] [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: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Maternal demographics have evolved, and more women than ever enter pregnancy with preexisting comorbidity and with potentially complex medication exposure, including polypharmacy (concomitant intake of multiple medications). This study aims to describe the evolution of medication use in pregnancy in Denmark from 1998 to 2018 with special focus on polypharmacy, patterns of use, and underlying demographics. MATERIAL AND METHODS A Danish nationwide historical registry study based on all clinically recognized pregnancies with a gestation ≥10 weeks between 1998 and 2018. Medication use was estimated by redemption of prescriptions during pregnancy. RESULTS Among a total of 1 402 327 clinically recognized pregnancies, redemption of at least one prescription medication during pregnancy increased from 56.9% in 1998 to 63.3% in 2018, coinciding with an increased use of polypharmacy (from 24.8% in 1998 to 35.2% in 2018). The prevalence of pregnant women who used medications for chronic conditions increased more than the prevalence of women treated for occasional or short-time conditions. Redemption of one or multiple prescription medications during pregnancy was mostly seen among pregnant women ≥35 years of age. However, pregnant women <25 years old exhibited the largest increase in medication use during the study period. CONCLUSIONS Medication use in general, and polypharmacy in particular, increased from 1998 to 2008, possibly as the result of an increased prevalence of pregnant women with chronic conditions requiring pharmacological treatment. Notably, a marked maternal age-based discrepancy in usage pattern was observed, highlighting the need for further research in this area. The rise in the prevalence of polypharmacy during pregnancy underscores the need for pharmacovigilance to monitor adverse effects. Future studies should investigate the patterns of polypharmacy and the accompanying maternal and fetal risks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniel R. Witte
- Department of Public HealthAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Steno Diabetes Center AarhusAarhus University HospitalAarhusDenmark
| | - Agnete Larsen
- Department of BiomedicineAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Lars Henning Pedersen
- Department of Clinical MedicineAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Department of BiomedicineAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyAarhus University HospitalAarhusDenmark
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Menkes DB, Mintzes B, Lexchin J. Direct-to-consumer advertising: a modifiable driver of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. BMJ Evid Based Med 2024:bmjebm-2023-112622. [PMID: 38754908 DOI: 10.1136/bmjebm-2023-112622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- David B Menkes
- Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | | | - Joel Lexchin
- School of Health Policy and Management, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Bouvette MJ, Lam AB, Bouvette C, Ayanambakkam A, Nipp RD. Oncology drug pricing: potential medicare savings on cancer-directed and supportive care medications through the Mark Cuban cost plus drug model. Oncologist 2024:oyae083. [PMID: 38739017 DOI: 10.1093/oncolo/oyae083] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Prescription drug costs within oncology remain a challenge for many patients with cancer. The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (MCCPDC) launched in 2022, aiming to provide transparently priced medications at reduced costs. In this study, we sought to describe the potential impact of MCCPDC on Medicare Part-D oncology spending related to cancer-directed (n = 7) and supportive care (n = 26) drugs. We extracted data for drug-specific Part-D claims and spending for 2021. Using 90-count purchases from MCCPDC, we found potential Part-D savings of $857.8 million (91% savings) across the 7 cancer-directed drugs and $28.7 million (67% savings) across 21/26 (5/26 did not demonstrate savings) supportive care drugs. Collectively, our findings support that alternative purchasing models like MCCPDC may promote substantial health care savings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max J Bouvette
- College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Anh B Lam
- Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Christopher Bouvette
- Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Adanma Ayanambakkam
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stephenson Cancer Center and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Ryan D Nipp
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stephenson Cancer Center and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
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Chua KP, Fischer MA, Rahman M, Linder JA. Changes in the Appropriateness of US Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing After the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis of 2016-2021 Data. Clin Infect Dis 2024:ciae135. [PMID: 38648159 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciae135] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND No national study has evaluated changes in the appropriateness of US outpatient antibiotic prescribing across all conditions and age groups after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in March 2020. METHODS This was an interrupted time series analysis of Optum's de-identified Clinformatics Data Mart Database, a national commercial and Medicare Advantage claims database. Analyses included prescriptions for antibiotics dispensed to children and adults enrolled during each month during 2017-2021. For each prescription, we applied our previously developed antibiotic appropriateness classification scheme to International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes on medical claims occurring on or during the 3 days prior to dispensing. Outcomes included the monthly proportion of antibiotic prescriptions that were inappropriate and the monthly proportion of enrollees with ≥1 inappropriate prescription. Using segmented regression models, we assessed for level and slope changes in outcomes in March 2020. RESULTS Analyses included 37 566 581 enrollees, of whom 19 154 059 (51.0%) were female. The proportion of enrollees with ≥1 inappropriate prescription decreased in March 2020 (level decrease: -0.80 percentage points [95% confidence interval {CI}, -1.09% to -.51%]) and subsequently increased (slope increase: 0.02 percentage points per month [95% CI, .01%-.03%]), partly because overall antibiotic dispensing rebounded and partly because the proportion of antibiotic prescriptions that were inappropriate increased (slope increase: 0.11 percentage points per month [95% CI, .04%-.18%]). In December 2021, the proportion of enrollees with ≥1 inappropriate prescription equaled the corresponding proportion in December 2019. CONCLUSIONS Despite an initial decline, the proportion of enrollees exposed to inappropriate antibiotics returned to baseline levels by December 2021. Findings underscore the continued importance of outpatient antibiotic stewardship initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kao-Ping Chua
- Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Michael A Fischer
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Moshiur Rahman
- Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Linder
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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Huhmann BA, Limbu YB. Fair Balance of Prescription Drug Information on Legitimate and Illegitimate Online Pharmacy Websites. Pharmacy (Basel) 2024; 12:67. [PMID: 38668093 PMCID: PMC11054229 DOI: 10.3390/pharmacy12020067] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Patients require important information when prescribed medications. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that promotional information includes a fair balance of risks and benefits. This study evaluates how well legitimate online pharmacies (LOPs) and illegitimate online pharmacies (IOPs) comply with the spirit of the FDA's fair balance guidelines by examining the extent and equivalence of risk and benefit information on their websites. This study analyzed the content of 307 online pharmacy websites. Most (90.3%) communicated drug benefits, while 84.7% provided risks. Both risk and benefit information was moderately extensive. Presentation of risks and benefits differed between online pharmacy types. Compared to LOPs, IOPs were more likely to present risk information but also exaggerate benefits. Four in ten online pharmacies presented a fair balance of risks and benefits. However, LOPs (47.4%) were more likely to present a fair balance than IOPs (36.5%). Interestingly, IOPs were more likely to disclose instructions for use and overdose information than LOPs. These findings underscore the need for regulatory guidelines to encourage online pharmacies to present a fair balance of benefit and risk information. Also, pharmacists should develop online approaches to better fulfill their professional responsibility as drug information providers while maintaining their integrity and objectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce A. Huhmann
- Department of Marketing, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Yam B. Limbu
- Department of Marketing, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 07043, USA;
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De La Riva L, Gray E, Braden-Suchy N, Irwin AN. Assessing provider knowledge of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program in a federally qualified health center. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2024:zxae096. [PMID: 38557600 DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxae096] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
DISCLAIMER In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. PURPOSE The 340B Drug Pricing Program is important to healthcare organizations that serve vulnerable communities. However, it is unknown whether healthcare providers in these organizations understand the 340B program and how it supports enhanced patient services. This study aims to characterize the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of healthcare providers toward the 340B program in a multisite federally qualified health center (FQHC). METHODS This was a cross-sectional survey. A 27-item survey designed to assess prescriber knowledge and perspectives toward the 340B program was developed and administered. Closed-ended items were summarized using descriptive statistics, and open-ended items were analyzed with qualitative methods. RESULTS A total of 198 healthcare providers with prescribing authority received the survey; of those, 65 (32.8%) participated. The majority of respondents (66.2%) were female; 41.5% were 35 years of age or younger, and 49.2% were physicians. The majority of respondents agreed that patients benefited from access to the organization's 340B pharmacies (95%) and that 340B pricing is important to consider when prescribing medications (78.3%). However, knowledge of the 340B program was limited, with only half of respondents (54%) able to correctly answer at least 4 of 7 knowledge-focused items. Reponses to a patient case suggested that some providers may be unfamiliar with which drugs are available at reduced prices. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that providers believe the 340B program benefits patients and the organization but often lack a complete understanding of the program. Future research should focus on prescriber education as a strategy to help organizations optimize their 340B programs and facilitate patient access to medications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily Gray
- Lancaster Family Health Center, Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, Salem, OR, USA
| | | | - Adriane N Irwin
- Oregon State University College of Pharmacy, Corvallis, OR, USA
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Meille G. Interruptions in Insurance Coverage and Prescription Drug Utilization: Evidence from Kentucky. Med Care Res Rev 2024; 81:133-144. [PMID: 38062727 DOI: 10.1177/10775587231213691] [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: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
This study examined how interruptions in insurance coverage affect purchases of prescription drugs for young adults. It used data spanning 2014 to 2018 from Kentucky's prescription drug monitoring program, which tracked the universe of federally-regulated (Schedule II-V) prescription drugs dispensed in the state. The study employed a regression discontinuity design based on the age limit at 26 for dependent insurance coverage for children. At age 26, the probability of purchasing a prescription decreased by 5%, with all subcategories of prescriptions affected. The share of generic prescriptions increased for stimulants (the only category observed with substantial branded prescriptions). By age 27, prescription purchases returned to levels observed at 25, but the share purchased with public insurance and the generic share for stimulants remained higher. The findings suggest that interruptions in insurance coverage decrease prescription drug utilization by young adults and that public insurance programs such as Medicaid are important for resuming treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Meille
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD, USA
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Shafi DES, Jørgensen KN, Bjella T, Nesvåg R, Dieset I, Melle I, Andreassen OA, Jönsson EG. Prescriptions of psychotropic and somatic medications among patients with severe mental disorders and healthy controls in a naturalistic study. Nord J Psychiatry 2024; 78:212-219. [PMID: 38306243 DOI: 10.1080/08039488.2024.2305806] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Psychotropic and somatic medications are both used in treating severe mental disorders (SMDs). Realistic estimates of the prevalence of use across medication categories are needed. We obtained this in a clinical cohort of patients with SMD and healthy controls (HCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS Prescriptions filled at Norwegian pharmacies the year before and after admittance to the Thematically Organized Psychosis (TOP) study were examined in 1406 patients with SMD (mean age 32.5 years, 48.2% women) and 920 HC (34.1 years, 46.2% women). Using data from the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD), the number of users in different anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) categories was compared using logistic regression. Population estimates were used as reference data. RESULTS Use of antipsychotics (N05A), antiepileptics (N03A), antidepressants (N06A), anxiolytics (N05B), hypnotics and sedatives (N05C), anticholinergics (N04A), psychostimulants, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and nootropic agents (N06B) and drugs for addiction disorders (N07B) was significantly more prevalent in patients with SMD than HC. Use of diabetes treatment (A10), antithrombotic drugs (B01), beta blockers (C07), lipid modifiers (C10), and thyroid and endocrine therapeutics (H03) was also more prevalent in patients with SMD, but with two exceptions somatic medication use was comparable to the general population. Among HC, there was low prevalence of use for most medication categories. CONCLUSION Patients were using psychiatric medications, but also several types of somatic medications, more often than HC. Still, somatic medication use was mostly not higher than in the general population. The results indicate that HC had low use of most medication types.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kjetil Nordbø Jørgensen
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychiatry, Telemark Hospital, Skien, Norway
| | - Thomas Bjella
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Ingrid Dieset
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Acute Psychiatric Department, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ingrid Melle
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Erik G Jönsson
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm Region, Stockholm, Sweden
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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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Bendicksen L, Kesselheim AS, Daval CJR. Federal Enforcement of Pharmaceutical Fraud under the False Claims Act, 2006-2022. J Health Polit Policy Law 2024; 49:249-268. [PMID: 37801012 DOI: 10.1215/03616878-10989695] [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] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT The False Claims Act is the US federal government's primary tool for identifying and penalizing pharmaceutical fraud. The Department of Justice uses the False Claims Act to bring civil cases against drug manufacturers that allegedly obtain improper payment from federal programs. METHODS The authors searched the Department of Justice website for press releases published between 2006 and 2022 that announced fraud actions brought against drug companies. They then used the World Health Organization's Anatomical Therapeutic Classification index to identify the classes of prescription drugs implicated in fraud actions. FINDINGS During fiscal years 2006-2022, payments by six manufacturers amounted to more than 28% of total payments made as a result of federal False Claims Act actions. Nervous system and cardiovascular drugs were the classes of medications most commonly implicated in alleged fraud. Federal officials most frequently alleged that companies improperly promoted nervous system drugs and paid kickbacks to increase revenues from cardiovascular, antineoplastic and immunomodulating, and alimentary tract and metabolism drugs. CONCLUSIONS Despite frequent pharmaceutical fraud settlements and penalties, incidence of alleged fraud among drug companies remains high. Alternative methods for preventing and deterring fraud could help safeguard our health systems and promote public health, and policy makers should ensure that effective fraud enforcement complements preventive public health regulation.
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Allen RS, Lin SSH, Ly TK, Jacobs ML, McKinney RE, Cox BS, Albright AE, Dragan DM, Carroll D, Halli-Tierney A. Substance Use Screening in Geriatric Primary Care: Cultural Issues and Alcohol Consumption in the Deep South. Clin Gerontol 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38469621 DOI: 10.1080/07317115.2024.2326523] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate indicators of potentially hazardous alcohol use among older adults living in a region with high substance use stigma. METHODS Patients at a university-affiliated geriatrics clinic in the Deep South of theUS completed behavioral health screenings including self-reported alcohol use, symptoms of depression or anxiety, and cognitive functioning between 2018 and 2022. RESULTS Participants (N = 278) averaged 76.04 years of age (SD = 9.25), were predominantly female (70.9%), and non-Hispanic white (84.5%), with an averageof 6.08 comorbid diagnoses (SD = 2.86). Race/ethnicity, age, and symptoms of anxiety were associated with alcohol use and hazardous alcohol use, with non-Hispanic whites, younger individuals, and those with more anxiety symptoms reporting more alcohol use. Notably, alcohol use and hazardous alcohol use were associated with cognitive functioning in the dementia range. CONCLUSION Self-reported alcohol use is low in geriatric primary care in the Deep South, US, differs by race/ethnicity, and is predictive of cognitive impairment when alcohol use is hazardous. Issues of trust and stigma may play a role in self-report ofstigmatized behaviors. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Self-reported alcohol intake must be considered within the cultural context of regional stigma. Recommendations to address this are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca S Allen
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- Alabama Research Institute on Aging, Alabama Life Research Institute, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Shayne S H Lin
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- Alabama Research Institute on Aging, Alabama Life Research Institute, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Timothy K Ly
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- Alabama Research Institute on Aging, Alabama Life Research Institute, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - M Lindsey Jacobs
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- Alabama Research Institute on Aging, Alabama Life Research Institute, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Robert E McKinney
- Alabama Research Institute on Aging, Alabama Life Research Institute, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, College of Community Health Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Brian S Cox
- Alabama Research Institute on Aging, Alabama Life Research Institute, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Amy E Albright
- Alabama Research Institute on Aging, Alabama Life Research Institute, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Deanna M Dragan
- Alabama Research Institute on Aging, Alabama Life Research Institute, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salem, Virginia, USA
| | - Dana Carroll
- Alabama Research Institute on Aging, Alabama Life Research Institute, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- Family, Internal, and Rural Medicine, College of Community Health Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Anne Halli-Tierney
- Alabama Research Institute on Aging, Alabama Life Research Institute, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- Family, Internal, and Rural Medicine, College of Community Health Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
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Radder H, Smiers J. Medical research without patents: It's preferable, it's profitable, and it's practicable. Account Res 2024:1-22. [PMID: 38450500 DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2024.2324913] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
This article addresses the question of the possibility of medical research without patents, a major issue in healthcare research and policy. We discuss and evaluate the relevant scientific, economic, societal, and moral aspects of our system of funding and organizing the research, development, manufacture and sale of prescription drugs. The focus is on the patent practices of big pharmaceutical companies. We analyze and critically assess the main features and impacts of these practices. In a positive sense, we propose an approach to organizing and funding drug research that prioritizes its public interest rather than its privatization through patenting. For these purposes, we first demonstrate that producing prescription drugs through patenting has serious drawbacks. Second, we develop a concrete alternative (medical research without patents) that is shown to be scientifically, socially and morally preferable, economically and financially profitable, and socio-politically and organizationally practicable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Radder
- Department of Philosophy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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13
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Joyce G, Zhou B, Kaestner R. Why higher copayments for opioids did not reduce use among Medicare beneficiaries. Health Econ 2024; 33:466-481. [PMID: 37985466 PMCID: PMC10872383 DOI: 10.1002/hec.4779] [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] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
To examine whether higher cost-sharing deterred prescription opioid use. Medicare Part D claims from 2007 to 2016 for a 20% random sample of Medicare enrollees. We obtain estimates of the effect of cost-sharing on prescription opioid use using ordinary least squares and instrumental variables methods. In both, we exploit the variation (change) in cost-sharing within plans over time for a sample of beneficiaries who remain in the same plan. Focusing on changes in cost-sharing within a plan for a constant sample of beneficiaries mitigates potential bias from plan selection and using a constant set of weights derived from use in year (t) eliminates changes in the cost-sharing indexes due to (endogenous) consumer choice in year (t+1). Part D plans adopted benefit changes designed to reduce opioid use, including moving opioids to higher cost-sharing tiers. Increasing plan copayments for hydrocodone or oxycodone was associated with reductions in plan-paid claims and offsetting increases in cash claims. Widespread availability of low-cost generics combined with the anti-clawback provision in Part D mediated the effect of higher cost sharing to curb opioid use. As plans moved generic opioids to higher cost-sharing tiers, beneficiaries simply paid cash prices and aggregate use remained largely unchanged. The anti-clawback provision in Part D, intended to protect beneficiaries from price gouging, limited plans' ability to constrain opioid use through typical demand-side measures such as increased cost-sharing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Joyce
- University of Southern California Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics
- USC School of Pharmacy
| | - Bo Zhou
- University of Southern California Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics
- USC School of Pharmacy
| | - Robert Kaestner
- University of Southern California Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics
- Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago and NBER
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Krause JS, DiPiro ND, Dismuke-Greer CE. Self-Reported Prescription Opioid Use Among Participants with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury. Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil 2024; 30:131-139. [PMID: 38433739 PMCID: PMC10906374 DOI: 10.46292/sci23-00050] [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: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Background Individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) experience high rates of prescription opioid use, yet there is limited data on frequency of opioid use and specific medications being taken. Objectives To examine the frequency of self-reported prescription opioid use among participants with SCI and the relationship with demographic, injury, and socioeconomic characteristics. Methods A cohort study of 918 adults with SCI of at least 1-year duration completed a self-report assessment (SRA) that indicated frequency of specific prescription opioid use based on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Results Forty-seven percent of the participants used at least one prescription opioid over the last year; the most frequently used was hydrocodone (22.1%). Nearly 30% used a minimum of one opioid at least weekly. Lower odds of use of at least one opioid over the past year was observed for Veterans (odds ratio [OR] = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.38, 0.96) and those with a bachelor's degree or higher (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.44, 0.91). When restricting the analysis to use of at least one substance daily or weekly, lower odds of use was observed for those with a bachelor's degree or higher and those with income ranging from $25,000 to $75,000+. None of the demographic or SCI variables were significantly related to prescription opioid use. Conclusion Despite the widely established risks, prescription opioids were used daily or weekly by more than 28% of the participants. Usage was only related to Veteran status and socioeconomic status indicators, which were protective of use. Alternative treatments are needed for those with the heaviest, most regular usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- James S Krause
- College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Nicole D DiPiro
- College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Clara E Dismuke-Greer
- Health Economics Resource Center, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto, Menlo Park, California
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Lalani HS, Tessema FA, Kesselheim AS, Rome BN. Availability and Cost of Expensive and Common Generic Prescription Drugs: A Cross-sectional Analysis of Direct-to-Consumer Pharmacies. J Gen Intern Med 2024:10.1007/s11606-024-08623-y. [PMID: 38321315 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-024-08623-y] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmacies sell generic prescription drugs, often at lower prices than traditional retail pharmacies; however, not all drugs are available, and prices vary. OBJECTIVE To determine the availability and cost of generic drugs at DTC pharmacies. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Five national DTC pharmacies in April and May 2023. PARTICIPANTS Each qualifying form of 100 generic drugs with the highest cost-per-patient (expensive) and the 50 generic drugs with the highest number of patients (common) in Medicare Part D in 2020 MAIN MEASURES: Availability of these drugs and the lowest DTC pharmacy price for a standardized drug strength and supply (e.g., 30 pills), compared to GoodRx retail pharmacy prices. KEY RESULTS Of the 118 expensive generic dosage forms, 94 (80%) were available at 1 or more DTC pharmacies; out of 52 common generic dosage forms, 51 (98%) were available (p < 0.001). Of the 88 expensive generics available in comparable quantities and strengths across pharmacies, 42 (47%) had the lowest cost at Amazon, 23 (26%) at Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, 13 (14%) at Health Warehouse, and 12 (13%) at Costco; for 51 common generic formulations, 16 (31%) had the lowest cost at Costco, 14 (27%) at Amazon, 10 (20%) at Walmart, 6 (12%) at Health Warehouse, and 5 (10%) at Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. For the 77 expensive generics with available GoodRx retail pharmacy prices, the median cost savings at DTC pharmacies were $231 (95% CI, $129-$792) or 76% (IQR, 53-91%); for 51 common generics, savings were $19 (95% CI, $10-$34) or 75% (IQR, 67-83%). CONCLUSIONS Many of the most expensive generic drugs are unavailable at direct-to-consumer pharmacies. Meanwhile, less expensive, commonly used generics are widely available, but drug prices vary by pharmacy and savings are modest, requiring patients to shop around for the lowest cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussain S Lalani
- Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL), Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Frazer A Tessema
- Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL), Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Aaron S Kesselheim
- Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL), Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin N Rome
- Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL), Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Jones PR, Santiago J, Pearsall BM, Chu DM, Wolff C, Kearsley A. A survey on perceived medication guide reading and comprehension ease among US adults. Health Promot Int 2024; 39:daad190. [PMID: 38386901 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daad190] [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] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Medication guides (MGs) provide patients with important information about certain prescription drugs to help them take these drugs safely. We surveyed US residents about their perceptions of MG readability and understandability. We randomly sampled 5204 US residents (age 18+) from Ipsos's KnowledgePanel to complete a two-part survey. Only respondents who reported receiving an MG with their prescription drugs (n = 3852) completed part 2, which included two key items: How easy to [(1)read/(2)understand] are the MGs that you have received from a pharmacy along with your prescription medicines? (1 = Very easy, 5 = Very difficult; reverse-coded). Health literacy (HL) and demographic data were also collected. After weighting our data, we found that 85% of respondents who reported receiving an MG perceived this information as 'very easy' (27.3%), 'somewhat easy' (28.3%) or 'about average' (29.3%) to read. Eighty-seven percent of respondents who reported receiving an MG perceived it as 'very easy' (27.6%), 'somewhat easy' (30.2%) or 'about average' (29.5%) to understand. ANOVAs revealed higher average perceived MG reading and comprehension ease scores among respondents presumed to have adequate versus inadequate HL (ps ≤ 0.0006). Younger or less-educated respondents and non-Hispanic Blacks perceived MGs as easier to read and understand, on average, than their counterparts (ps ≤ 0.0001). Many of these relationships remained intact in models predicting perceived MG reading and comprehension ease (ps ≤ 0.001). Adjusted R2 values across models were small, however (≤0.06). Our findings suggest most US residents (18+) who received MGs perceived them to be 'about average' to 'very easy' to read and understand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul R Jones
- Division of Medical Policy Programs, Office of Medical Policy Initiatives, Office of Medical Policy, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Jonas Santiago
- Division of Medical Policy Programs, Office of Medical Policy Initiatives, Office of Medical Policy, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Bryon M Pearsall
- Division of Medical Policy Programs, Office of Medical Policy Initiatives, Office of Medical Policy, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Dan-My Chu
- Division of Medical Policy Programs, Office of Medical Policy Initiatives, Office of Medical Policy, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Carolyn Wolff
- Office of Economics and Analysis, Office of Policy, Legislation, and International Affairs, Office of the Commissioner, FDA, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Aaron Kearsley
- Office of Economics and Analysis, Office of Policy, Legislation, and International Affairs, Office of the Commissioner, FDA, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
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Riester MR, D'Amico AM, Khan MA, Joyce NR, Pfeiffer MR, Margolis SA, Ott BR, Curry AE, Bayer TA, Zullo AR. Changes in the burden of medications that may impair driving among older adults before and after a motor vehicle crash. J Am Geriatr Soc 2024; 72:444-455. [PMID: 37905738 PMCID: PMC10922040 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.18643] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medications are one of the most easily modifiable risk factors for motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) among older adults, yet limited information exists on how the use of potentially driver-impairing (PDI) medications changes following an MVC. Therefore, we examined the number and types of PDI medication classes dispensed before and after an MVC. METHODS This observational study included Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged ≥67 years who were involved in a police-reported MVC in New Jersey as a driver between 2008 and 2017. Analyses were conducted at the "person-crash" level because participants could be involved in more than one MVC. We examined the use of 36 PDI medication classes in the 120 days before and 120 days after MVC. We described the number and prevalence of PDI medication classes in the pre-MVC and post-MVC periods as well as the most common PDI medication classes started and stopped following the MVC. RESULTS Among 124,954 person-crashes, the mean (SD) age was 76.0 (6.5) years, 51.3% were female, and 83.9% were non-Hispanic White. The median (Q1 , Q3 ) number of PDI medication classes was 2 (1, 4) in both the pre-MVC and post-MVC periods. Overall, 20.3% had a net increase, 15.9% had a net decrease, and 63.8% had no net change in the number of PDI medication classes after MVC. Opioids, antihistamines, and thiazide diuretics were the top PDI medication classes stopped following MVC, at incidences of 6.2%, 2.1%, and 1.7%, respectively. The top medication classes started were opioids (8.3%), skeletal muscle relaxants (2.2%), and benzodiazepines (2.1%). CONCLUSIONS A majority of crash-involved older adults were exposed to multiple PDI medications before and after MVC. A greater proportion of person-crashes were associated with an increased rather than decreased number of PDI medications. The reasons why clinicians refrain from stopping PDI medications following an MVC remain to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa R Riester
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Adam M D'Amico
- Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Marzan A Khan
- Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Nina R Joyce
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Center for Injury Research and Prevention, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Melissa R Pfeiffer
- Center for Injury Research and Prevention, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Seth A Margolis
- Department of Neuropsychology, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Brian R Ott
- Department of Neurology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Allison E Curry
- Center for Injury Research and Prevention, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Thomas A Bayer
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Center of Innovation in Long-Term Services and Supports, Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Andrew R Zullo
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Center of Innovation in Long-Term Services and Supports, Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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18
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Lalani HS, Russo M, Desai RJ, Kesselheim AS, Rome BN. Association between changes in prices and out-of-pocket costs for brand-name clinician-administered drugs. Health Serv Res 2024. [PMID: 38247110 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.14279] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether annual changes in prices for clinician-administered drugs are associated with changes in patient out-of-pocket costs. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING National commercial claims database, 2009 to 2018. STUDY DESIGN In a serial, cross-sectional study, we calculated the annual percent change in manufacturer list prices and net prices after rebates. We used two-part generalized linear models to assess the relationship between annual changes in price with (1) the percentage of individuals incurring any out-of-pocket costs and (2) the percent change in median non-zero out-of-pocket costs. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS We created annual cohorts of privately insured individuals who used one of 52 brand-name clinician-administered drugs. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS List prices increased 4.4%/yr (interquartile range [IQR], 1.1% to 6.0%) and net prices 3.3%/yr (IQR, 0.3% to 5.5%). The median percentage of patients with any out-of-pocket costs increased from 38% in 2009 to 48% in 2018, and median non-zero annual out-of-pocket costs increased by 9.6%/yr (IQR, 4.1% to 15.4%). There was no association between changes in prices and out-of-pocket costs for individual drugs. CONCLUSIONS From 2009 to 2018, prices and out-of-pocket costs for brand-name clinician-administered drugs increased, but these were not directly related for individual drugs. This may be due to changes to insurance benefit design and private insurer drug reimbursement rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussain S Lalani
- Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL), Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Massimilano Russo
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rishi J Desai
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Aaron S Kesselheim
- Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL), Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Benjamin N Rome
- Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL), Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Oloruntoba O, Bergeron CD, Zhong L, Merianos AL, Sherman LD, Kew CL, Goidel RK, Smith ML. Pharmacological Prescribing and Satisfaction with Pain Treatment Among Non-Hispanic Black Men with Chronic Pain. Patient Prefer Adherence 2024; 18:187-195. [PMID: 38264322 PMCID: PMC10804868 DOI: 10.2147/ppa.s435652] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pharmacological strategies are often central to chronic pain management; however, pain treatment among non-Hispanic Black men may differ because of their disease profiles and healthcare interactions. However, less is known about pain medication prescribing and patients' satisfaction with pain treatment and management among non-Hispanic Black men with self-reported chronic pain. Purpose This study assessed factors associated with non-Hispanic Black men being prescribed/recommended narcotics/opioids for chronic pain and their satisfaction with pain treatment/management. Methods Data were analyzed from 286 non-Hispanic Black men with chronic pain who completed an internet-delivered questionnaire. Participants were recruited nationwide using a Qualtrics web-based panel. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with being prescribed/recommended narcotics/opioids for pain management treatment. Then, ordinary least squares regression was used to identify factors associated with their satisfaction level with the pain treatment/management received. Results On average, participants were 56.2 years old and 48.3% were prescribed/recommended narcotics/opioids for chronic pain. Men with more chronic conditions (Odds Ratio [OR] = 0.57, P = 0.043) and depression/anxiety disorders (OR = 0.53, P = 0.029) were less likely to be prescribed/recommended narcotics/opioids. Men who were more educated (OR = 2.09, P = 0.044), reported more frequent chronic pain (OR = 1.28, P = 0.007), and were allowed to participate more in decisions about their pain treatment/management (OR = 1.11, P = 0.029) were more likely to be prescribed/recommended narcotics/opioids. On average, men with more frequent chronic pain (B = -0.25, P = 0.015) and pain problems (B = -0.16, P = 0.009) were less satisfied with their pain treatment/management. Men who were allowed to participate more in decisions about their pain treatment/management reported higher satisfaction with their pain treatment/management (B = 0.55, P < 0.001). Conclusion Playing an active role in pain management can improve non-Hispanic Black men's satisfaction with pain treatment/management. This study illustrates the importance of patient-centered approaches and inclusive patient-provider interactions to improve chronic pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluyomi Oloruntoba
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Lixian Zhong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rangel School of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Ashley L Merianos
- School of Human Services, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Ledric D Sherman
- Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Center for Health Equity and Evaluation Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Chung Lin Kew
- Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - R Kirby Goidel
- Public Policy Research Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Matthew Lee Smith
- Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Center for Health Equity and Evaluation Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Center for Community Health and Aging, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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20
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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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21
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Shahid F, Doherty A, Wallace E, Schmiedl S, Alexander GC, Dreischulte T. Prescribing cascades in ambulatory care: A structured synthesis of evidence. Pharmacotherapy 2024; 44:87-96. [PMID: 37743815 DOI: 10.1002/phar.2880] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
The strength of evidence for specific ambulatory care prescribing cascades, in which a marker drug is used to treat an adverse event caused by an index drug, has not been well characterized. To perform a structured, systematic, and transparent review of the evidence supporting ambulatory care prescribing cascades. Ninety-four potential prescribing cascades identified through a previously published systematic review. Systematic search of the literature to further characterize prescribing cascades. (1) Grading of evidence based on observational studies investigating associations between index and marker drugs, including: Level I-strong evidence [i.e. multiple high-quality studies]; Level II-moderate evidence [i.e. single high-quality study]; Level III-fair evidence [no high-quality studies but one or more moderate-quality studies]; and Level IV-poor evidence [other]. (2) Listing of the adverse event associated with the index drug in the product's United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) label. (3) Synthesis of the evidence supporting mechanisms linking index drugs and associated adverse events. Of 99 potential cascades, 94 were supported by one or more confirmatory observational studies and were therefore included in this review. The 94 cascades related to 30 types of adverse drug reactions affecting 10 different anatomic/physiologic systems and were investigated by a total of 88 confirmatory studies, including prescription sequential symmetry analysis (n = 51), cohort (n = 30), and case-control (n = 7) studies. Overall, the evidence from observational studies was strong for 18 (19.1%) prescribing cascades, moderate for 61 (64.9%), fair for 13 (13.8%), and poor for 2 (2.1%). Although the evidence supporting mechanisms that link index drugs and associated adverse events was variable, FDA labels included information about the adverse event associated with the index drug for most (n = 86) but not all of the 94 prescribing cascades. Although we identified 18 of 94 prescribing cascades supported by strong clinical evidence and most adverse events associated with index drugs are included in FDA label, the evidentiary basis for prescribing cascades varies, with many requiring further evidence of clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faiza Shahid
- Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ann Doherty
- Department of General Practice, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Emma Wallace
- Department of General Practice, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Sven Schmiedl
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
- Philipp Klee-Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, Helios University Hospital Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - G Caleb Alexander
- Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tobias Dreischulte
- Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
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22
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Panggabean B, Suharjo B, Sumarwan U, Yuliati LN. Strategy development to increase consumer intention of purchasing prescription drugs through e-pharmacy in Indonesia. Int J Risk Saf Med 2024; 35:49-73. [PMID: 38363621 DOI: 10.3233/jrs-220067] [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: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The global COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to obtain health products and services from home. Similar to other e-commerce, medicines are bought online and delivered using a courier service. OBJECTIVE By being fully concerned to patient safety, this study aims to determine development strategies to increase intention in purchasing prescription drugs through e-pharmacy. METHODS Two stages of measurement are employed in this study, namely confirmatory factor analyis using PLS-SEM and pairwise comparison using AHP method. To discover consumer perception in using e-pharmacy, the basic model of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is employed with several extensions. RESULTS The results of PLS-SEM express that Trust has a major role as an intervening variable to enhance the indirect effect of Subjective Norms and Perceived Values on Purchase Intention. In general, PLS-SEM structural model is declared "fit" (GFI = 0.93 ≥ 0.90; RMSEA = 0.045 ≤ 0.08; SRMR = 0.033 ≤ 0.05). Measurement model test proves that all selected indicators are valid to represent their related constructs (Loading Factor ≥ 0.50), and all selected constructs are reliable to build the whole path model (CR ≥ 0.7; AVE ≥ 05). Meanwhile, the results of AHP indicate that strengthening government policies and regulations is prioritized to increase consumer intention of purchasing prescription drugs through e-pharmacy, followed by protection of user confidential data in the second place. Those two eigenvectors are 0.236 and 0.185 respectively. CONCLUSION Future research is suggested to add perceived risk as latent variable in the study of consumer behavior for any high-risk products.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Budi Suharjo
- Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Ujang Sumarwan
- Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Lilik Noor Yuliati
- Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
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23
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Webber C, Milani C, Bjerre LM, Lawlor PG, Bush SH, Watt CL, Pugliese M, Knoefel F, Casey G, Momoli F, Thavorn K, Tanuseputro P. Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing in Long-Term Care and its Relationship With Probable Delirium. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2024; 25:130-137.e4. [PMID: 37743042 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2023.08.019] [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: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study examined potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) of medication and its association with probable delirium among long-term care (LTC) residents in Ontario, Canada. DESIGN Population-based cross-sectional study using provincial health administrative data, including LTC assessment data via the Resident Assessment Instrument-Minimum Dataset version 2.0 (RAI-MDS 2.0). SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS LTC residents in Ontario between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2019. METHODS We used residents' first RAI-MDS 2.0 assessment in the study period as the index assessment. Probable delirium was identified via the delirium Clinical Assessment Protocol. Medication use in the 2 weeks preceding assessment was captured using medication claims data. PIP was measured using the STOPP/START criteria and 2015 Beers criteria, with residents classified as having 0, 1, 2, or 3+ instances of PIP. Relationships between PIP and probable delirium was assessed via bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS The study population included 171,190 LTC residents (mean age 84.5 years, 66.8% female, 62.9% with dementia). More than half (51.8%) of residents had 1+ instances of PIP and 21% had 3+ instances of PIP according to the STOPP/START criteria; PIP prevalence was slightly lower when assessed using Beers criteria (36.5% with 1+, 11.1% with 3+). Overall, 3.7% of residents had probable delirium. The prevalence of probable delirium increased as the number of instances of PIP increased, with residents with 3+ instances of STOPP/START PIP being 1.66 times more likely (95% CI 1.56-1.77) to have probable delirium compared to those with no instances of PIP. Similar findings were observed when PIP was measured using the Beers criteria. Central nervous system (CNS)-related PIP criteria showed a stronger association with probable delirium than non-CNS-related PIP criteria. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS This population-based study highlighted that PIP was highly prevalent in long-term care residents and was associated with an increased prevalence of probable delirium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen Webber
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Ontario, Canada.
| | | | - Lise M Bjerre
- ICES, Ontario, Canada; Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Institut du savoir Montfort, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter G Lawlor
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shirley H Bush
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christine L Watt
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Pugliese
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frank Knoefel
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Genevieve Casey
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Franco Momoli
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kednapa Thavorn
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter Tanuseputro
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Ontario, Canada; Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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24
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Mukhopadhyay S. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of people with obesity. Stress Health 2023. [PMID: 38126550 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3359] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Obesity is a risk factor for anxiety and depression. Obesity is also a risk factor for severe COVID-19 disease and therefore may have contributed to adverse mental health outcomes in this vulnerable population during the COVID-19 pandemic. We compare the trajectory of mental health outcomes of people with obesity with normal-weight people before and during the COVID-19 pandemic using nationally representative individual-level longitudinal data from the National Health Interview Survey and Difference-in-Difference regressions. Our results indicate that severe anxiety increased by 2.75 (95% CI: 0.0056-0.0494; p-value 0.014) percentage points, representing a 31.3% relative increase, and anxiety-related prescription drug usage increased by 2.75 (95% CI: 0.0076-0.0473; p-value<0.01) percentage points, representing a 19.2% relative increase among people with obesity, compared to normal-weight people. We conclude that people with obesity experienced an increase in the incidence of severe anxiety and anxiety-related prescription drug usage during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was not observed among normal-weight individuals. Furthermore, women, less-educated, and rural residents with obesity disproportionately bore the burden of the pandemic.
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25
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Scholz SW, Moroz BE, Saez-Atienzar S, Chia R, Cahoon EK, Dalgard CL, Freedman DM, Pfeiffer RM. Association of cardiovascular disease management drugs with Lewy body dementia: a case-control study. Brain Commun 2023; 6:fcad346. [PMID: 38162907 PMCID: PMC10754316 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad346] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Lewy body dementia is the second most common neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer's disease. Disease-modifying therapies for this disabling neuropsychiatric condition are critically needed. To identify drugs associated with the risk of developing Lewy body dementia, we performed a population-based case-control study of 148 170 US Medicare participants diagnosed with Lewy body dementia between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2014 and of 1 253 043 frequency-matched controls. We estimated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association of Lewy body dementia risk with 1017 prescription drugs overall and separately for the three major racial groups (Black, Hispanic and White Americans). We identified significantly reduced Lewy body dementia risk associated with drugs used to treat cardiovascular diseases (anti-hypertensives: odds ratio = 0.72, 95% confidence interval = 0.70-0.74, P-value = 0; cholesterol-lowering agents: odds ratio = 0.85, 95% confidence interval = 0.83-0.87, P-value = 0; anti-diabetics: odds ratio = 0.83, 95% confidence interval = 0.62-0.72, P-value = 0). Notably, anti-diabetic medications were associated with a larger risk reduction among Black Lewy body dementia patients compared with other racial groups (Black: odds ratio = 0.67, 95% confidence interval = 0.62-0.72, P-value = 0; Hispanic: odds ratio = 0.86, 95% = 0.80-0.92, P-value = 5.16 × 10-5; White: odds ratio = 0.85, 95% confidence interval = 0.82-0.88, P-value = 0). To independently confirm the epidemiological findings, we looked for evidence of genetic overlap between Lewy body dementia and cardiovascular traits using whole-genome sequence data generated for 2591 Lewy body dementia patients and 4027 controls. Bivariate mixed modelling identified shared genetic risk between Lewy body dementia and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. By combining epidemiological and genomic data, we demonstrated that drugs treating cardiovascular diseases are associated with reduced Lewy body dementia risk, and these associations varied across racial groups. Future randomized clinical trials need to confirm our findings, but our data suggest that assiduous management of cardiovascular diseases may be beneficial in this understudied form of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja W Scholz
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Brian E Moroz
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sara Saez-Atienzar
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Ruth Chia
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Cahoon
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Clifton L Dalgard
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Daryl Michal Freedman
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ruth M Pfeiffer
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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26
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Lieneck C, McLauchlan M, Adachi V, Billings R. Stakeholder Perspectives of the Inflation Reduction Act's (2022) Impact on Prescription Drugs: A Narrative Review. Pharmacy (Basel) 2023; 11:187. [PMID: 38133462 PMCID: PMC10748351 DOI: 10.3390/pharmacy11060187] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, we examine the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 on pharmaceutical drugs in the United States, drawing on a diverse range of sources to understand the perceptions of multiple stakeholders and professionals. Findings suggest that the Act, while aiming to control price inflation, has had a multifaceted impact on the pharmaceutical sector. Stakeholders, including pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, patient advocacy groups, and policymakers, offered varied perspectives: while some laud the Act for its potential in controlling runaway drug prices and making healthcare more accessible, others raise concerns about possible reductions in drug innovation, disruptions to supply chains, and the sustainability of smaller pharmaceutical companies. The review identified four underlying constructs (themes) in the literature surrounding healthcare stakeholders' perceptions of the IRA's impact upon prescription drugs: pricing and/or dictation pricing issues, topics related to patent law and pharmaceuticals, processes surrounding the IRA's (2022) rules and regulations, and potential threats to the pharmaceutical industry concerning the research and development of future medications. The complex interplay of the Act's implications underscores the importance of ongoing assessment and potential iterative policy refinements as implementation endures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Lieneck
- School of Health Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
| | | | | | - Roger Billings
- Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY 41099, USA;
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NEUMANN PETERJ, CRUMMER ELLIOTT, CHAMBERS JAMESD, TUNIS SEANR. Improving Food and Drug Administration-Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Coordination for Drugs Granted Accelerated Approval. Milbank Q 2023; 101:1047-1075. [PMID: 37644739 PMCID: PMC10726896 DOI: 10.1111/1468-0009.12670] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Policy Points The increasing number of drugs granted accelerated approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has challenged the Medicare program, which often pays for expensive therapies despite substantial uncertainty about benefits and risks to Medicare beneficiaries. We recommend several administrative and legislative approaches for improving FDA-Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) coordination around accelerated-approval drugs, including promoting earlier discussions among the FDA, the CMS, and drug companies; strengthening Medicare's coverage with evidence development program; linking Medicare payment to evidence generation milestones; and ensuring that the CMS has adequate staffing and resources to evaluate new therapies. These activities can help improve the integrity; transparency; and efficiency of approval, coverage, and payment processes for drugs granted accelerated approval. CONTEXT The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s accelerated-approval pathway expedites patient access to promising treatments. However, increasing use of this pathway has challenged the Medicare program, which often pays for expensive therapies despite substantial uncertainty about benefits and risks to Medicare beneficiaries. We examined approaches to improve coordination between the FDA and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for drugs granted accelerated approval. METHODS We argue that policymakers have focused on expedited pathways at the FDA without sufficient attention to complementary policies at the CMS. Although differences between the FDA and CMS decisions are to be expected given the agencies' different missions and statutory obligations, procedural improvements can ensure that Medicare beneficiaries have timely access to novel therapies that are likely to improve health outcomes. To inform policy options and recommendations, we conducted semistructured interviews with stakeholders to capture diverse perspectives on the topic. FINDINGS We recommend ten areas for consideration: clarifying the FDA's evidentiary standards; strengthening FDA authorities; promoting earlier discussions among the FDA, the CMS, and drug companies; improving Medicare's coverage with evidence development program; tying Medicare payment for accelerated-approval drugs to evidence generation milestones; issuing CMS guidance on real-world evidence; clarifying Medicare's "reasonable and necessary" criteria; adopting lessons from international regulatory-reimbursement harmonization efforts; ensuring that the CMS has adequate staffing and expertise; and emphasizing equity. CONCLUSIONS Better coordination between the FDA and CMS could improve the transparency and predictability of drug approval and coverage around accelerated-approval drugs, with important implications for patient outcomes, health spending, and evidence generation processes. Improved coordination will require reforms at both the FDA and CMS, with special attention to honoring the agencies' distinct authorities. It will require administrative and legislative actions, new resources, and strong leadership at both agencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- PETER J. NEUMANN
- Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in HealthTufts Medical Center
| | - ELLIOTT CRUMMER
- Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in HealthTufts Medical Center
| | - JAMES D. CHAMBERS
- Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in HealthTufts Medical Center
| | - SEAN R. TUNIS
- Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in HealthTufts Medical Center
- Rubix Health
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28
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de Freitas EL, Calil-Elias S, Erbisti RS, Grinberg-Weller B, Miranda ES. Consumption of drugs for Alzheimer's disease on the Brazilian private market. Rev Saude Publica 2023; 57:83. [PMID: 37971177 PMCID: PMC10631752 DOI: 10.11606/s1518-8787.2023057005128] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyze the consumption of drugs for Alzheimer's disease on the Brazilian private market and its geographical distribution from 2014 to 2020. METHODS National data from the Brazilian National System of Controlled Product Management were used, regarding sales of donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine, and memantine from January 2014 to December 2020. Sales data were used as a proxy for drug consumption and expressed as defined daily dose/1,000 inhabitants/year at national, regional, federative unit and microregion levels. RESULTS Drug consumption went from 5,000 defined daily doses/1,000 inhabitants, in 2014, to more than 16,000/1,000 inhabitants, in 2020, and all federative units showed positive variation. The Brazilian Northeast had the highest cumulative consumption in the period but displayed microregional disparities while the North region had the lowest consumption. Donepezil and memantine were the most consumed drugs, with the highest growth in consumption from 2014 to 2020. CONCLUSION The consumption of medicines indicated to treat Alzheimer's disease tripled in Brazil between 2014 and 2020, which may relate to the increase in the prevalence of the disease in the country, greater access to health services, and inappropriate use. This challenges managers and healthcare providers due to population aging and the increased prevalence of chronic-degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evani Leite de Freitas
- Universidade Federal FluminenseFaculdade de FarmáciaPrograma de Pós-graduação em Administração e Gestão da Assistência FarmacêuticaNiteróiRJBrazil Universidade Federal Fluminense . Faculdade de Farmácia . Programa de Pós-graduação em Administração e Gestão da Assistência Farmacêutica . Niterói , RJ , Brazil
| | - Sabrina Calil-Elias
- Universidade Federal FluminenseFaculdade de FarmáciaDepartamento de Farmácia e Administração FarmacêuticaNiteróiRJBrazil Universidade Federal Fluminense . Faculdade de Farmácia . Departamento de Farmácia e Administração Farmacêutica . Niterói , RJ , Brazil
| | - Rafael Santos Erbisti
- Universidade Federal FluminenseInstituto de Matemática e EstatísticaDepartamento de EstatísticaNiteróiRJBrazil Universidade Federal Fluminense . Instituto de Matemática e Estatística . Departamento de Estatística . Niterói , RJ , Brazil
| | - Branca Grinberg-Weller
- Universidade Federal FluminenseFaculdade de FarmáciaNiteróiRJBrazil Universidade Federal Fluminense . Faculdade de Farmácia . Niterói , RJ , Brazil
| | - Elaine Silva Miranda
- Universidade Federal FluminenseFaculdade de FarmáciaDepartamento de Farmácia e Administração FarmacêuticaNiteróiRJBrazil Universidade Federal Fluminense . Faculdade de Farmácia . Departamento de Farmácia e Administração Farmacêutica . Niterói , RJ , Brazil
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29
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Soeiro T, Pradel V, Lapeyre-Mestre M, Micallef J. Systematic assessment of non-medical use of prescription drugs using doctor-shopping indicators: A nation-wide, repeated cross-sectional study. Addiction 2023; 118:1984-1993. [PMID: 37203878 DOI: 10.1111/add.16261] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The aim of this study was to present the first nation-wide, systematic, repeated assessment of doctor-shopping (i.e. visiting multiple physicians to be prescribed the same drug) during 10 years for more than 200 psychoactive prescription drugs in the 67 million inhabitants in France. DESIGN This was a nation-wide, repeated cross-sectional study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Data are from the French National Health Data System in 2010, 2015 and 2019 for 214 psychoactive prescription drugs (i.e. anaesthetics, analgesics, antiepileptics, anti-Parkinson drugs, psycholeptics, psychoanaleptics, other nervous system drugs and antihistamines for systemic use). MEASUREMENTS The detection and quantification of doctor-shopping relied upon an algorithm that detects overlapping prescriptions from repeated visits to different physicians. We used two doctor-shopping indicators aggregated at population level for each drug dispensed to more than 5000 patients: (i) the quantity doctor-shopped, expressed in defined daily doses (DDD), which measures the total quantity doctor-shopped by the study population for a given drug; and (ii) the proportion doctor-shopped, expressed as a percentage, which standardizes the quantity doctor-shopped according to the use level of the drug. FINDINGS The analyses included approximately 200 million dispensings to approximately 30 million patients each year. Opioids (e.g. buprenorphine, methadone, morphine, oxycodone and fentanyl), benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics (Z-drugs) (e.g. diazepam, oxazepam, zolpidem and clonazepam) had the highest proportions doctor-shopped during the study period. In most cases, the proportion and the quantity doctor-shopped increased for opioids and decreased for benzodiazepines and Z-drugs. Pregabalin had the sharpest increase in the proportion doctor-shopped (from 0.28 to 1.40%), in parallel with a sharp increase in the quantity doctor-shopped (+843%, from 0.7 to 6.6 DDD/100 000 inhabitants/day). Oxycodone had the sharpest increase in the quantity doctor-shopped (+1000%, from 0.1 to 1.1 DDD/100 000 inhabitants/day), in parallel with a sharp increase in the proportion doctor-shopped (from 0.71 to 1.41%). Detailed results for all drugs during the study period can be explored interactively at: https://soeiro.gitlab.io/megadose/. CONCLUSIONS In France, doctor-shopping occurs for many drugs from many pharmacological classes, and mainly involves opioid maintenance drugs, some opioids analgesics, some benzodiazepines and Z-drugs and pregabalin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Soeiro
- Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm, Marseille, France
- Unité de pharmacoépidémiologie, Service de pharmacologie clinique, Hôpitaux universitaires de Marseille, Marseille, France
- Centre d'évaluation et d'information sur la pharmacodépendance-Addictovigilance, Service de pharmacologie clinique, Hôpitaux universitaires de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Vincent Pradel
- Centre d'évaluation et d'information sur la pharmacodépendance-Addictovigilance, Service de pharmacologie clinique, Hôpitaux universitaires de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Maryse Lapeyre-Mestre
- Université de Toulouse, Inserm, Toulouse, France
- Centre d'évaluation et d'information sur la pharmacodépendance-Addictovigilance, Service de pharmacologie clinique, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Joëlle Micallef
- Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm, Marseille, France
- Unité de pharmacoépidémiologie, Service de pharmacologie clinique, Hôpitaux universitaires de Marseille, Marseille, France
- Centre d'évaluation et d'information sur la pharmacodépendance-Addictovigilance, Service de pharmacologie clinique, Hôpitaux universitaires de Marseille, Marseille, France
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30
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Aronson JK, Heneghan C, Ferner RE. Drug shortages. Part 1. Definitions and harms. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2023; 89:2950-2956. [PMID: 37455356 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.15842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug shortages are repeatedly in the news. The earliest drug shortages were reported during the First World War, but the numbers of shortages have increased in recent years. In the first part of this two-part review, we discuss definitions of drug shortages and so-called stockouts, which are localized shortages, and the harms that they can cause. Drug shortages make it difficult or impossible to meet the therapeutic needs of individual patients or populations, but we lack an adequate definition. The problems are too complicated to be encompassed in a brief intensional dictionary-style definition, and that is reflected in the many different attempts at definition that have been proposed. We therefore propose an extensional operational definition that incorporates the processes by which products are manufactured, the causes of shortages and the contributory factors. A definition of this sort allows one to identify the main causes of a particular drug shortage and therefore the remedies that might prevent, mitigate or manage it. In the second part of the review we discuss the causes and solutions in more detail. Adverse drug reactions and medication errors attributable to shortages occur but are not often reported. Adverse reactions to substitute medicines are possible, and errors can occur because of unfamiliarity or unnecessary treatment with replacement medicines. Other harmful outcomes include withdrawal reactions, undertreatment, treatment delays and cancellations, failure of alternatives and disruption of clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey K Aronson
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford, UK
| | - Carl Heneghan
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford, UK
| | - Robin E Ferner
- West Midlands Centre for Adverse Drug Reactions, City Hospital, Birmingham, UK
- School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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31
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Aronson JK, Heneghan C, Ferner RE. Drug shortages. Part 2: Trends, causes and solutions. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2023; 89:2957-2963. [PMID: 37455465 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.15853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug shortages make it difficult or impossible to meet the therapeutic needs of individual patients or populations. In the first part of this review we proposed an operational definition that incorporates the processes by which products are manufactured, the causes of shortages and stock-outs (local shortages), and the contributory factors. Here we discuss causes and possible solutions. Drug shortages have complex causes, and a single cause cannot always be identified. Reasons include lack or shortage of raw materials, manufacturing difficulties, regulatory and political actions, voluntary recalls, just-in-time inventory systems, halts in production for financial or other business reasons, low demand (eg, orphan products, reduced usage), mergers, market shifts (eg, diversion to home markets) and unexpected increases in demand (eg, improved diagnosis, new trial information, epidemics and pandemics, inappropriate use, off-label use). Potential solutions are as diverse as the potential causes. Prevention is hard, because shortages are not easily predicted. Everyone in the supply chain is involved in anticipating and managing shortages, with responsibilities for preventing them or at least trying to mitigate their effects. This includes manufacturers and suppliers, particularly of generic formulations, pharmacists, prescribers, patients and governments. Solutions can therefore be linked to the causes and classified according to where the responsibility for implementing them lies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey K Aronson
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Oxford, UK
| | - Carl Heneghan
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Oxford, UK
| | - Robin E Ferner
- West Midlands Centre for Adverse Drug Reactions, City Hospital, Birmingham, UK
- School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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32
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Perales-Puchalt J, Burkhardt C, Baker J, Cernik C, Townley R, Niedens M, Burns JM, Mudaranthakam DP. Patient Polypharmacy use Following a Multi-Disciplinary Dementia Care Program in a Memory Clinic: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Kans J Med 2023; 16:237-241. [PMID: 37791031 PMCID: PMC10544887 DOI: 10.17161/kjm.vol16.20976] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Dementia increases the risk of polypharmacy. Timely detection and optimal care can stabilize or delay the progression of dementia symptoms, which may in turn reduce polypharmacy. We aimed to evaluate the change in polypharmacy use among memory clinic patients living with dementia who participated in a dementia care program compared to those who did not. We hypothesized that patients in the dementia care program would reduce their use of polypharmacy compared to those who were not in standard care. Methods We retrospectively analyzed data extracted from electronic medical records from a university memory clinic. Data from a total of 381 patients were included in the study: 107 in the program and 274 matched patients in standard care. We used adjusted odds ratios to assess the association between enrollment in the program and polypharmacy use at follow-up (five or more concurrent medications), controlling for baseline polypharmacy use and stratified polypharmacy use by prescription and over-the-counter (OTC). Results The two groups did not differ in the use of five or more overall and prescription medications at follow-up, controlling for the use of five or more of the respective medications at baseline and covariates. Being in the program was associated with a three-fold lower odds of using five or more OTC medications at follow-up (adjusted odds ratio = 0.30; p <0.001; 95% Confidence interval = 0.15-0.58) after controlling for using five or more OTC medications at baseline and covariates. Conclusions Dementia care may reduce polypharmacy of OTC medications, potentially reducing risky drug-drug interactions. More research is needed to infer causality and understand how to reduce prescription medication polypharmacy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jordan Baker
- University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Colin Cernik
- University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Ryan Townley
- University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
- University of Kansas Health System, Kansas City, KS
| | - Michelle Niedens
- University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
- University of Kansas Health System, Kansas City, KS
| | - Jeffrey M Burns
- University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
- University of Kansas Health System, Kansas City, KS
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Tai-Seale M, Baxter S, Millen M, Cheung M, Zisook S, Çelebi J, Polston G, Sun B, Gross E, Helsten T, Rosen R, Clay B, Sinsky C, Ziedonis DM, Longhurst CA, Savides TJ. Association of physician burnout with perceived EHR work stress and potentially actionable factors. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2023; 30:1665-1672. [PMID: 37475168 PMCID: PMC10531111 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocad136] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Physicians of all specialties experienced unprecedented stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating preexisting burnout. We examine burnout's association with perceived and actionable electronic health record (EHR) workload factors and personal, professional, and organizational characteristics with the goal of identifying levers that can be targeted to address burnout. MATERIALS AND METHODS Survey of physicians of all specialties in an academic health center, using a standard measure of burnout, self-reported EHR work stress, and EHR-based work assessed by the number of messages regarding prescription reauthorization and use of a staff pool to triage messages. Descriptive and multivariable regression analyses examined the relationship among burnout, perceived EHR work stress, and actionable EHR work factors. RESULTS Of 1038 eligible physicians, 627 responded (60% response rate), 49.8% reported burnout symptoms. Logistic regression analysis suggests that higher odds of burnout are associated with physicians feeling higher level of EHR stress (odds ratio [OR], 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.25), having more prescription reauthorization messages (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.04-1.47), not feeling valued (OR, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.69-7.22) or aligned in values with clinic leaders (OR, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.87-4.27), in medical practice for ≤15 years (OR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.63-4.12), and sleeping for <6 h/night (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.12-2.67). DISCUSSION Perceived EHR stress and prescription reauthorization messages are significantly associated with burnout, as are non-EHR factors such as not feeling valued or aligned in values with clinic leaders. Younger physicians need more support. CONCLUSION A multipronged approach targeting actionable levers and supporting young physicians is needed to implement sustainable improvements in physician well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Tai-Seale
- Family Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
- Outcomes Analysis and Scholarship, Information Services, UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, California, USA
- Research and Learning, Population Health Services Organization, UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, California, USA
- Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
- UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Sally Baxter
- Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
- UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, California, USA
- Ophthalmology, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Marlene Millen
- Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
- UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Michael Cheung
- Family Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Sidney Zisook
- UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, California, USA
- Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Julie Çelebi
- Family Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
- UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Gregory Polston
- UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, California, USA
- Anesthesiology, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Bryan Sun
- UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, California, USA
- Dermatology, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Erin Gross
- UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, California, USA
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Teresa Helsten
- Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
- UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rebecca Rosen
- Family Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
- UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Brian Clay
- Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
- UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Christine Sinsky
- Professional Satisfaction, American Medical Association, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Douglas M Ziedonis
- Psychiatry, University of New Mexico, School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
- University of New Mexico Health Sciences and Health System, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Christopher A Longhurst
- Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
- UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Thomas J Savides
- Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
- UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, California, USA
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Nitenson AZ, Paiva TJ, Onyejekwe C, Hallowell BD. Trends in Initiate Pediatric Opioid Prescriptions in Rhode Island: 2017-2021. R I Med J (2013) 2023; 106:44-49. [PMID: 37494627] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyze recent trends in initiate pediatric opioid prescriptions dispensed in Rhode Island. METHODS All Rhode Island residents aged 0-17 years with an initiate opioid prescription dispensed between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2021 were obtained from the Rhode Island Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Analyses were conducted to investigate trends related to patient demographics, prescription characteristics, diagnosis codes, and prescriber type. RESULTS From 2017-2021, there was a decrease in the number of unique pediatric patients dispensed an initiate prescription, the number of initiate pediatric opioid prescriptions, and the initiate prescription dosage. Initiate opioid prescriptions were primarily related to dental-related diagnoses, and dentists and oral and maxillofacial (OMF) surgeons comprised the largest category of prescriber type. CONCLUSION Initiate pediatric opioid prescriptions have decreased in Rhode Island in recent years. However, there remain opportunities to educate prescribers on reducing opioid exposure to vulnerable populations, including the use of alternate analgesics.
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Fowler AC, Jacobo-Rubio R, Xu J. Authorized Generics In The US: Prevalence, Characteristics, And Timing, 2010-19. Health Aff (Millwood) 2023; 42:1071-1080. [PMID: 37549330 DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.01677] [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: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Authorized generics are approved brand-name drugs that are sold by brand-name manufacturers or licensees without brands on their labeling. Despite their prevalence in prescription drug markets in the US, little is known about trends in their launches, their timing relative to traditional generics, and the characteristics of their respective brand-name drugs. We linked Food and Drug Administration and IQVIA data to investigate newly launched authorized generics during the period 2010-19. We found 854 launches over this period, with launches peaking in 2014. Marketing appears strategic: In markets with traditional generics, three-fourths of authorized generics launched after the respective generic competition started. When we focused on markets where generics were eligible for the 180-day exclusivity, about 70 percent of authorized generics launched before or during the exclusivity period. These findings provide insights for future research on the effect of authorized generics on competition, prices, and access to generics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ruben Jacobo-Rubio
- Ruben Jacobo-Rubio, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland
| | - Jing Xu
- Jing Xu , Food and Drug Administration
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Sachs R, Adler L, Frank R. A holistic view of innovation incentives and pharmaceutical policy reform. Health Aff Sch 2023; 1:qxad004. [PMID: 38756835 PMCID: PMC10985921 DOI: 10.1093/haschl/qxad004] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The Inflation Reduction Act is set to transform how Medicare pays for prescription drugs, most notably by enabling Medicare to negotiate for the prices of certain high-cost medications. The pharmaceutical industry argues it will drastically reduce innovation, but a full analysis of its impacts on innovation requires considering not merely the number of new drugs produced but their clinical value. Several features of the negotiation process aim to minimize its impacts on innovation, particularly for drugs with high clinical value. The Biden Administration has also implemented several policies alongside the Inflation Reduction Act, such as the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health and a National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative, that are designed to reward and promote clinically valuable innovation. Taken together, these policies should go a long way toward mitigating any negative impacts on new drug development and may even better promote the development of higher-value drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Sachs
- School of Law, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
- Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 824, Washington, DC 20036, United States
| | - Loren Adler
- Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 824, Washington, DC 20036, United States
| | - Richard Frank
- Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 824, Washington, DC 20036, United States
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Zheng J, Sandhu AT. The Inflation Reduction Act Expands Prescription Drug Affordability: Decades in the Making. J Am Coll Cardiol 2023; 81:2112-2114. [PMID: 37225365 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2023.03.415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy Zheng
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
| | - Alexander T Sandhu
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; Department of Medicine, Palo Alto Veteran's Affairs Hospitals, Palo Alto, California, USA. https://twitter.com/ATSandhu
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Lebihan L. The impact of a mandatory universal drug insurance program on health behaviors and outcomes. Health Econ 2023. [PMID: 37164656 DOI: 10.1002/hec.4699] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
This paper investigates the effects of a mandatory, universal prescription drug insurance policy on health behaviors and outcomes within a public health care system providing physician and hospital services free of charge. Using Canadian longitudinal data, we show that the reform improved individuals' general health while reducing body mass index and smoking. However, the program also increased drinking and had no significant impact on mental health, physical activity, or preventive care. We also examine the mechanisms through which these effects can play a role, as well as the heterogeneous effects. Estimates suggest that the policy decreased SES-based disparities in health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Lebihan
- Department of Economics, University of Reunion Island, Saint-Denis (Reunion Island), France
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Socal MP, Estus E, Long J, Crane MA, Pegany V, Anderson GF. Developing Prioritization Criteria to Identify Target Drugs for CalRx, the California Generic Drugs Initiative. Value Health 2023; 26:634-638. [PMID: 36379412 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2022.11.004] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aimed to establish criteria to identify priority drugs for CalRx, a California-sponsored initiative to support the manufacture and distribution of affordable generic drugs. METHODS A web-based ranking exercise was implemented with key stakeholders in August 2020, using pricing, spending, and public health criteria identified through a review of academic literature and public health agency reports. A total of 39 of 40 invited stakeholders in 4 different categories-patient advocates, healthcare providers, health insurers, and health policy and economic experts-participated in this study (98% response rate). RESULTS Drugs that treat large populations, drugs that represent high cost to payors, and drugs that represent high cost to consumers were ranked a priority, receiving > 10% of ranking weights. Drugs that treat conditions with high morbidity or mortality, drugs without therapeutic alternatives, and drugs treating vulnerable populations represented criteria of further interest (9%-10% of weights). Shortage risk and curative effect (8%-9% of the weights), high price increases, communicable disease treatments, and high unit prices (< 8% of the weights) represented the bottom of the priority distribution. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that drugs that treat large populations, drugs that represent large costs to payors, and drugs that represent large costs to consumers should be the priority for California's CalRx generic drug initiative. A prioritizing algorithm will assist California in determining top drugs to target from a public health and spending perspective as it plans the rollout of the CalRx initiative and negotiates with drug manufacturers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana P Socal
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Emily Estus
- California Health and Human Services Agency, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Jingmiao Long
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Matthew A Crane
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Vishaal Pegany
- California Health and Human Services Agency, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Gerard F Anderson
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Alpert A, Lakdawalla D, Sood N. Prescription Drug Advertising and Drug Utilization: The Role of Medicare Part D. J Public Econ 2023; 221:104860. [PMID: 37275770 PMCID: PMC10237358 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2023.104860] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This paper examines how direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for prescription drugs influences utilization by exploiting a large and plausibly exogenous shock to DTCA driven by the introduction of Medicare Part D. Part D led to larger increases in advertising in geographic areas with higher concentrations of Medicare beneficiaries. We examine the impact of this differential increase in advertising on non-elderly individuals to isolate advertising effects from the direct effects of Part D. We find that exposure to advertising led to large increases in treatment initiation and improved medication adherence. Advertising also had sizeable positive spillover effects on non-advertised generic drugs. Our results imply significant spillovers from Medicare Part D on the under-65 population and an important role for non-price factors in influencing prescription drug utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abby Alpert
- University of Pennsylvania; 3641 Locust Walk, Colonial Penn Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
- NBER, National Bureau of Economic Research; 1050 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
| | - Darius Lakdawalla
- NBER, National Bureau of Economic Research; 1050 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
- University of Southern California; 635 Downey Way, Verna & Peter Dauterive Hall (VPD), Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
| | - Neeraj Sood
- NBER, National Bureau of Economic Research; 1050 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
- University of Southern California; 635 Downey Way, Verna & Peter Dauterive Hall (VPD), Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
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Baiardi G, Calvini G, Panarello S, Fioravanti C, Stella M, Martelli A, Antonucci G, Mattioli F. Prescriptive Appropriateness: Inhospital Adherence to Proton Pump Inhibitors Deprescription Flow Chart. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16050635. [PMID: 37242418 DOI: 10.3390/ph16050635] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The prescriptive appropriateness of Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) in polypharmacy is controversial. PPIs are often overprescribed and the risk of prescribing errors and adverse drug reactions increases for each additional drug added to therapy. Hence, guided deprescription should be considered and easily implementable in ward practice. This observational prospective study evaluated the implementation of a validated PPIs deprescription flow chart to real-life internal ward activity through the presence of a clinical pharmacologist as an enhancing additional factor by assessment of inhospital prescriber's adherence to the proposed flow chart. Patients' demographics and prescribing trends of PPIs prescriptions were analyzed by descriptive statistics. The final analysis of data included ninety-eight patients (forty-nine male and forty-nine female), aging 75.6 ± 10.6 years; 55.1% of patients had home-PPIs prescriptions, while 44.9% received inhospital-PPIs prescriptions. Evaluation of prescriber's adherence to the flow chart revealed that the percentage of patients with a prescriptive/deprescriptive pathway conforming to that of the flow chart was 70.4%, with low symptomatologic recurrences. The clinical pharmacologists' presence and influence in ward activity may have contributed to this finding, since continuous training of the prescribing physicians is deemed a success-related factor in the deprescribing strategy. Multidisciplinary management of PPIs deprescription protocols shows high adherence by prescribers in real-life hospital settings and low recurrence events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giammarco Baiardi
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura delle Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 2, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Giulia Calvini
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura delle Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 2, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Serena Panarello
- Internal Medicine Unit, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura delle Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Fioravanti
- Internal Medicine Unit, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura delle Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy
| | - Manuela Stella
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura delle Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 2, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Antonietta Martelli
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 2, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Antonucci
- Internal Medicine Unit, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura delle Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesca Mattioli
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura delle Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 2, 16132 Genoa, Italy
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Sullivan HW, O'Donoghue AC, Boudewyns V, Paquin RS, Ferriola-Bruckenstein K. Patient Understanding of Oncology Clinical Trial Endpoints in Direct-to-Consumer Television Advertising. Oncologist 2023:7133647. [PMID: 37079495 DOI: 10.1093/oncolo/oyad064] [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] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study examined how people interpret overall survival (OS), overall response rate (ORR), and progression-free survival (PFS) endpoints in the context of direct-to-consumer television ads. Although there is little research on this topic, initial evidence suggests that people can misinterpret these endpoints. We hypothesized that understanding of ORR and PFS would be improved by adding a disclosure ("We currently do not know if [Drug] helps patients live longer") to ORR and PFS claims. METHODS We conducted 2 online studies with US adults examining television ads for fictional prescription drugs indicated to treat lung cancer (N = 385) or multiple myeloma (N = 406). The ads included claims about OS, ORR with and without a disclosure, or PFS with and without a disclosure. In each experiment, we randomized participants to view 1 of 5 versions of a television ad. After viewing the ad twice, participants completed a questionnaire that measured understanding, perceptions, and other outcomes. RESULTS In both studies, participants correctly differentiated between OS, ORR, and PFS via open-ended responses; however, participants in the PFS conditions (versus ORR conditions) were more likely to make incorrect inferences about OS. Supporting the hypothesis, adding a disclosure made expectations around living longer and quality-of-life improvements more accurate. CONCLUSION Disclosures could help reduce the extent to which people misinterpret endpoints like ORR and PFS. More research is needed to establish best-practice recommendations for using disclosures to improve patient understanding of drug efficacy without changing their perception of the drug in unintended ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen W Sullivan
- Office or Prescription Drug Promotion, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Amie C O'Donoghue
- Office or Prescription Drug Promotion, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Vanessa Boudewyns
- Center for Communication & Media Impact, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Ryan S Paquin
- Center for Communication & Media Impact, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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Walsh BS, Kesselheim AS, Rome BN. Medicaid Spending on Antiretrovirals From 2007 Through 2019. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 76:833-841. [PMID: 36268585 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac833] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antiretroviral (ARV) medications to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are a major contributor to Medicaid prescription drug spending. Despite having been used for over 3 decades, the first generic ARVs only recently became available, and many newer versions continue to be sold at high prices despite within-class competition. We estimated Medicaid spending on ARVs from 2007 through 2019. METHODS Using public Medicaid State Drug Utilization data, we identified trends in ARV spending and use from 2007 through 2019. We estimated net spending and average prices (spending per 30-day supply), accounting for statutory Medicaid rebates, including a 15%-23% base rebate plus additional rebates if a drug's price increased faster than inflation. RESULTS Among 48 ARVs, estimated net Medicaid spending from 2007 through 2019 was $25 billion for 17 million 30-day supplies. Annual use increased 118%, from 0.7 million 30-day supplies in 2007 to 1.6 million in 2019. During this time, estimated annual net spending increased 178%, from $1.1 billion to $3.0 billion, and average net prices increased 28%, from $1432 to $1830 per 30-day supply. CONCLUSIONS Annual Medicaid net spending on ARVs nearly tripled from 2007 to 2019, due to a combination of expanded use and rising prices. Medicaid did not extract expected benefits from its mandatory inflationary rebates because they were offset by use of newer, more expensive ARVs. To better control spending related to products with incremental innovation, the US government should be authorized to assure that launch prices for new drugs are aligned with the added benefit they offer over existing therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan S Walsh
- Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL), Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Aaron S Kesselheim
- Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL), Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Benjamin N Rome
- Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL), Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Liu J, Zhang Y, Kaplan CM. Effects of Medicare Part D coverage gap closure on utilization of branded and generic drugs. Health Econ 2023; 32:639-653. [PMID: 36399360 PMCID: PMC9898097 DOI: 10.1002/hec.4637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The Affordable Care Act included a provision to gradually eliminate the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap between 2011 and 2020, which substantially lower medication costs in the gap. Using 2007-2016 Medicare claims data, we estimate how filling the gap affects individuals' out-of-pocket spending and medication use, separately for branded and generic drugs. One important difficulty in estimating the policy impact is that around the same time, many blockbuster drugs commonly used by the Medicare population experienced patent expiration and began to see generic entry. Because generic entries affected different therapeutic classes at different times, we run difference-in-differences models by therapeutic category at the beneficiary-month level to isolate the effect of the gap closure from that of generic entry. Overall, we find that filling the gap substantially reduced out-of-pocket spending and increased the use of branded drugs, which had larger discount rates during the analysis period. Beneficiaries reaching the gap, at older ages, or with comorbidities experienced larger reduction in out-of-pocket spending. We show that without accounting for generic entry, the effect of filling the coverage gap on medication use is underestimated for branded drugs and overestimated for generic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Liu
- Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social ResearchFaculty of Business and EconomicsUniversity of MelbourneVictoriaMelbourneAustralia
- Department of EconomicsUniversity of OklahomaNormanOklahomaUSA
| | - Yuting Zhang
- Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social ResearchFaculty of Business and EconomicsUniversity of MelbourneVictoriaMelbourneAustralia
| | - Cameron M. Kaplan
- Gehr Center for Health Systems Science & InnovationUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
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Rome BN, Gunter SJ, Kesselheim AS. Market dynamics of authorized generics in Medicaid from 2014 to 2020. Health Serv Res 2023. [PMID: 36815308 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.14145] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the use and timing of market introduction of authorized generics (AGs), which unlike independent generics are sold by the brand-name drug manufacturer under a generic label. DATA SOURCES This study used public Medicaid prescription drug use data from 2014 to 2020. STUDY DESIGN This cross-sectional study measured the percentage of filled prescriptions for AGs, compared with brand-name and independent generic versions. We also identified the frequency and characteristics of AGs marketed at least 1 year before independent generics. DATA EXTRACTION METHODS Drugs were classified based on manufacturer-reported data to Medicaid. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS From 2014 to 2020, 1023 AGs accounted for 175 million filled Medicaid prescriptions. These represented 4% of Medicaid prescription drug use, and 16% of medication use among products with AGs available. Among 393 AGs for drugs without generic competition before 2014, 139 (35%) were marketed at least 1 year before independent generics or had no independent generic competition through December 2020. CONCLUSIONS AGs represented a small share of Medicaid prescription drug use from 2014 to 2020, but when AGs were available, they accounted for sizeable market share. Among the minority of cases in which AGs were marketed a year or more before independent generics, manufacturers may be using AGs to bolster brand-name drug prices or to undermine independent generic competition, meriting further attention by regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin N Rome
- Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL), Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Simon J Gunter
- Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL), Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Aaron S Kesselheim
- Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL), Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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46
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Ippolito BN, Levy JF. The influence of Medicare Part D on the list pricing of brand drugs. Health Serv Res 2023. [PMID: 36737865 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.14139] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare the Medicare Part D market share of brand drugs with their net-to-list price ratio. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING SSR Health Brand Net Price Tool and Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2007-2019. STUDY DESIGN For each drug, we calculated the ratio of net to list price and the percent of users that were Medicare-eligible. We compared these cross-sectionally in each year and estimated a difference-in-differences model comparing drugs with high or low Medicare market shares (MMS) after following changes to program incentives in 2010. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS The sample included brand drugs without generic competitors appearing in both datasets. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Net-to-list price ratios were negatively correlated with MMS in the later years of our sample. In 2019, a 10% increase in MMS was associated with a significant 4.6% [95% CI: 2.1%, 7.1%] decrease in net-to-list ratio. Difference-in-differences showed net-to-list price ratios of drugs with above median MMS fell relative to those with below median MMS. By 2019, we observe an absolute reduction of -0.2 [95% CI: -0.29, -0.11], representing 28% reduction relative to the average ratio in 2010. CONCLUSIONS Greater exposure to the Medicare Part D market was associated with larger differences between net and list prices of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedic N Ippolito
- Economic Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Joseph F Levy
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Steen Carlsson K, Winding B, Astermark J, Baghaei F, Brodin E, Funding E, Holmström M, Österholm K, Bergenstråle S, Lethagen S. High use of pain, depression, and anxiety drugs in hemophilia: more than 3000 people with hemophilia in an 11-year Nordic registry study. Res Pract Thromb Haemost 2023; 7:100061. [PMID: 36908766 PMCID: PMC9999211 DOI: 10.1016/j.rpth.2023.100061] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Pain is a common feature of hemophilia, but prevalence of depression and anxiety is less studied. Registry data on prescription drugs can provide an objective measure of the magnitude of these complications. Objectives To identify treatment patterns of prescribed pain, antidepressant, and antianxiety medications compared with those of matched controls in 4 Nordic countries. Methods The MIND study (NCT03276130) analyzed longitudinal individual-level national data during 2007-2017. People with hemophilia (PwH) were identified from National Health Data Registers by diagnosis or factor replacement treatment and compared with population controls. Three subgroups were defined by the use of factor concentrates and sex (moderate-to-high factor consumption (factor VIII [FVIII] use of ≥40 IU/kg/week or FIX use of ≥10 IU/kg/week), low factor consumption, and women including carriers). Results Data of 3246 PwH, representing 30,184 person-years, were analyzed. PwH (including children and adults) used more pain, depression, and anxiety medications compared with controls. This was most accentuated in the moderate-to-high factor consumption group and notably also observed in men with low factor consumption and women including carriers, usually representing a milder phenotype. A higher opioid use was observed across all age groups: 4- to 6-fold higher in the moderate-to-high factor consumption group and 2- to 4-fold higher in the low factor consumption group. Conclusion The consistent higher use of pain, depression, and anxiety medications among PwH compared with population controls, regardless of age, sex, or factor consumption, in broad national data suggests a need for improved bleed protection and hemophilia care for all severities including mild hemophilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Steen Carlsson
- The Swedish Institute for Health Economics, Lund, Sweden.,Lund University, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Jan Astermark
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Radiation Physics, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Fariba Baghaei
- Coagulation Centre, Department of Medicine/Section of Hematology and Coagulation, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Elisabeth Brodin
- Physiotherapy, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Section for Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Eva Funding
- Department of Hematology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Margareta Holmström
- Coagulation Unit, Centre of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Klaus Österholm
- HUS Internal Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physiatric Outpatient Clinic, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
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Furzer J, Isabelle M, Miloucheva B, Laporte A. Public drug insurance, moral hazard and children's use of mental health medication: Latent mental health risk-specific responses to lower out-of-pocket treatment costs. Health Econ 2023; 32:518-538. [PMID: 36408897 DOI: 10.1002/hec.4631] [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] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Studies have shown that reducing out-of-pocket costs can lead to higher medication initiation rates in childhood. Whether the cost of such initiatives is inflated by moral hazard issues remains a question of concern. This paper looks to the implementation of a public drug insurance program in Québec, Canada, to investigate potential low-benefit consumption in children. Using a nationally representative longitudinal sample, we harness machine learning techniques to predict a child's risk of developing a mental health disorder. Using difference-in-differences analyses, we then assess the impact of the drug program on children's mental health medication uptake across the distribution of predicted mental health risk. Beyond showing that eliminating out-of-pocket costs led to a 3 percentage point increase in mental health drug uptake, we show that demand responses are concentrated in the top two deciles of risk for developing mental health disorders. These higher-risk children increase take-up of mental health drugs by 7-8 percentage points. We find even stronger effects for stimulants (8-11 percentage point increases among the highest risk children). Our results suggest that reductions in out-of-pocket costs could achieve better uptake of mental health medications, without inducing substantial low-benefit care among lower-risk children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill Furzer
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maripier Isabelle
- Department of Economics, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche CERVO, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- CIRANO, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Canadian Centre for Health Economics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Boriana Miloucheva
- Center for Health and Wellbeing, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Audrey Laporte
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Canadian Centre for Health Economics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Economics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Fieiras C, Chen MH, Escobar Liquitay CM, Meza N, Rojas V, Franco JVA, Madrid E. Risperidone and aripiprazole for autism spectrum disorder in children: an overview of systematic reviews. BMJ Evid Based Med 2023; 28:7-14. [PMID: 35101925 DOI: 10.1136/bmjebm-2021-111804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess the effectiveness and safety of risperidone and aripiprazole in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). DESIGN AND SETTING Overview of systematic reviews (SRs). SEARCH METHODS In October 2021, we searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo and Epistemonikos placing no restrictions on language or date of publication. PARTICIPANTS Children aged 12 years or less with ASD. INTERVENTIONS Risperidone and aripiprazole with no dosage restrictions. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We rated the methodological quality of the included SRs using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR 2). We reported the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation certainty of the evidence according to the analysis conducted by the authors of the included SRs. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURED A multidisciplinary group of experts agreed on analysing nine critical outcomes evolving core and non-core ASD symptoms. PATIENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT Organisations of parents of children with ASD were involved during part of the process, participating in external revision of the final version of the report for the Chilean Ministry of Health with no additional comments (ID 757-22-L120 DIPRECE, Ministry of Health, Chile). The organisations involved were: Fundación Unión Autismo y Neurodiversidad, Federación Nacional de Autismo, Vocería Autismo del Sur, and Vocería Autismo del Norte. RESULTS We identified 22 SRs within the scope of this overview, of which 16 were of critically low confidence according to AMSTAR 2 and were excluded from the analysis. Both aripiprazole and risperidone were effective for reducing autism symptoms severity, repetitive behaviours, inappropriate language, social withdrawal and behavioural problems compared with placebo. The certainty of the evidence for most outcomes was moderate. Risperidone and aripiprazole are associated with metabolic and neurological adverse events. Follow-up was short termed. CONCLUSIONS We found that aripiprazole and risperidone probably reduce symptom severity at short-term follow-up but may also cause adverse events. High-quality and updated SRs and larger randomised controlled trials with longer term follow-up are needed on this topic. OVERVIEW PROTOCOL PROSPERO CRD42020206535.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Fieiras
- School of Medicine, Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Nicolás Meza
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Studies (CIESAL) - Cochrane Chile Associate Centre, Universidad de Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Chile
| | - Valeria Rojas
- School of Medicine, Universidad de Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Chile
- Autism program, Hospital Gustavo Fricke, Viña del Mar, Chile
| | - Juan Victor Ariel Franco
- Associate Cochrane Centre-Research Department, Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eva Madrid
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Studies (CIESAL) - Cochrane Chile Associate Centre, Universidad de Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Chile
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50
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Ferner RE, Aronson JK. Medicines legislation and regulation in the United Kingdom 1500-2020. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2023; 89:80-92. [PMID: 35976677 PMCID: PMC10087031 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.15497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The initial purposes of regulation of medicines in England, and latterly in the United Kingdom, were principally to raise government revenue, to discourage murder by poisoning and to regulate the activities of pharmacists. It was only much later that regulators sought to ensure that medicines were of good quality, reasonably safe, and at least somewhat effective, and to curtail misuse of drugs. Here we survey the history of the regulation of medicines and poisons in England from the perspective of clinicians with an interest in therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin E Ferner
- School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,West Midlands Centre for Adverse Drug Reactions, City Hospital, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jeffrey K Aronson
- Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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