Findings from University of Pennsylvania in the Area of Medicare and Medicaid Described (Synchronized Prescription Refills and Medication Adherence:…

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Findings from University of Pennsylvania in the Area of Medicare and Medicaid Described (Synchronized Prescription Refills and Medication Adherence: A Retrospective Claims Analysis)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- Investigators publish new report on Medicare and Medicaid. According to news reporting originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by VerticalNews correspondents, research stated, "Medication adherence is often suboptimal, especially among patients on multiple chronic medications. We examined the association between synchronized medication refill schedules-which typically reduce organizational effort and logistical demands-and adherence."

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from the University of Pennsylvania, "Retrospective study among patients enrolled in Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans. We used 2012 pharmacy, medical, and enrollment data linked with consumer meta-data for Medicare patients filling 2 or more maintenance prescriptions for antihypertensives, lipid-lowering agents, antidiabetic agents, antidepressants, and/or antiosteoporotic agents. Medication adherence for the year was measured using the proportion of days covered (PDC) at the drug class level. Patients were deemed adherent if drug class PDC was = 0.80. Outcomes were compared between 1:1 propensity score-matched patients on synchronized versus nonsynchronized refill schedules for maintenance medications. The synchronized refill group showed better adherence than the control group, although the magnitude of effects varied by drug class and specific outcome measure. Mean PDC scores ranged from 0.02 higher for antihypertensives to 0.07 higher for antidepressants in the synchronized refill group relative to the control group (P <. 01). Further, compared with the control group, a larger proportion of synchronized refill group members were deemed adherent, ranging from 6 percentage points higher for antihypertensives to 15 percentage points higher for lipid-lowering agents (P <. 01). Differences between the synchronized and control groups were larger among exclusive users of retail versus mail order pharmacies for maintenance medications."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "Synchronized medication refill schedules were associated with better medication adherence, particularly for patients filling maintenance medications exclusively at retail pharmacies."

For more information on this research see: Synchronized Prescription Refills and Medication Adherence: A Retrospective Claims Analysis. American Journal of Managed Care, 2017;23(2):98-104,225-245. American Journal of Managed Care can be contacted at: Managed Care & Healthcare Communications Llc, 666 Plainsboro Rd, Ste 300, Plainsboro, NJ 08536, USA.

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting J.A. Doshi, University of Pennsylvania, Leonard Davis Inst Hlth Econ, Center Hlth Incent & Behav Econ, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States. Additional authors for this research include R. Lim, P.X. Li, P.P. Young, V.F. Lawnicki, A.B. Troxel and K.G. Volpp.

Keywords for this news article include: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America, Medicare and Medicaid, Health Policy, Medicare, University of Pennsylvania.