Treatment and discharge patterns among patients hospitalized with non-valvular atrial fibrillation transitioning from the inpatient to outpatient setting.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate inpatient oral anticoagulant (OAC) treatment, discharge location, and post-discharge OAC treatment for patients hospitalized with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Retrospective study using claims data linked to hospital electronic health records (EHR). Patients (n = 2,484) were hospitalized with a primary (38%) or secondary (62%) diagnosis of AF without evidence of mitral valvular heart disease or valve replacement between January 2009 and September 2013. Inpatient OAC treatment was identified from EHR data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Inpatient and post-discharge OAC treatment [direct OAC (DOAC; apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran), warfarin, no OAC] and discharge location (long-term care, home health-care, home self-care). RESULTS: Mean age was 72.6 years, 61.2% were male, and 89.5% had a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥2. Overall, 6.4% received a DOAC, 38.0% warfarin, and 55.6% no OAC during hospitalization. Compared to other treatment groups, patients receiving DOAC were younger and more likely to be male. The majority (72.2%) were discharged to home health-care, 13.2% home self-care, and 6.0% long-term care. Among patients who were treated with warfarin during hospitalization, 40.3% filled a warfarin prescription within 30 days post-discharge, whereas among patients who were treated with a DOAC, 52.4% filled a DOAC prescription within 30 days post-discharge. Some NVAF patients not treated with an OAC during hospitalization filled a prescription for warfarin (18.0%) or DOAC (1.9%) within 30 days post-discharge. Results were similar among patients with CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥2. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients hospitalized for NVAF were discharged to home support, and the majority did not have OAC treatment during hospitalization or the 30 days post-discharge. Additional investigation should be conducted on trends beyond 30 days post-hospitalization, and the reasons for not receiving anticoagulation therapy in patients at moderate-to-severe risk of stroke or systemic embolism. Helping to avoid preventable strokes is an important goal for public health.

Real-world comparison of all-cause hospitalizations, hospitalizations due to stroke and major bleeding, and costs for non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients prescribed oral anticoagulants in a US health plan.

AIMS: To compare the risk of all-cause hospitalization and hospitalizations due to stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and major bleeding, as well as associated healthcare costs for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients initiating apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, or warfarin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NVAF patients initiating apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, or warfarin were selected from the OptumInsight Research Database from January 1, 2013-September 30, 2015. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed between apixaban and each oral anticoagulant. Cox models were used to estimate the risk of stroke/SE and major bleeding. Generalized linear and 2-part models were used to compare healthcare costs. RESULTS: Of the 47,634 eligible patients, 8,328 warfarin-apixaban pairs, 3,557 dabigatran-apixaban pairs, and 8,440 rivaroxaban-apixaban pairs were matched. Compared to apixaban, warfarin patients were associated with a significantly higher risk of all-cause (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.21-1.40) as well as stroke/SE-related (HR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.23-2.07) and major bleeding-related (HR = 1.95; 95% CI = 1.60-2.39) hospitalization; rivaroxaban patients were associated with a higher risk of all-cause (HR = 1.15; 95% CI = 1.07-1.24) and major bleeding-related hospitalization (HR = 1.71; 95% CI = 1.39-2.10); and dabigatran patients were associated with a higher risk of major bleeding hospitalization (HR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.02-2.10). Warfarin patients had significantly higher major bleeding-related and total all-cause healthcare costs compared to apixaban patients. Rivaroxaban patients had significantly higher major bleeding-related costs compared to apixaban patients. No significant results were found for the remaining comparisons. LIMITATIONS: No causal relationships can be concluded, and unobserved confounders may exist in this retrospective database analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a significantly higher risk of hospitalization (all-cause, stroke/SE, and major bleeding) associated with warfarin, a significantly higher risk of major bleeding hospitalization associated with dabigatran or rivaroxaban, and a significantly higher risk of all-cause hospitalization associated with rivaroxaban compared to apixaban. Lower major bleeding-related costs were observed for apixaban patients compared to warfarin and rivaroxaban patients.

Impact of a Novel Cost-Saving Pharmacy Program on Pregabalin Use and Health Care Costs.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacy cost-saving programs often aim to reduce costs for members and payers by encouraging use of lower-tier or generic medications and lower-cost sales channels. In 2010, a national U.S. health plan began a novel pharmacy program directed at reducing pharmacy expenditures for targeted medications, including pregabalin. The program provided multiple options to avoid higher cost sharing: use mail order pharmacy or switch to a lower-cost alternative medication via mail order or retail. Members who did not choose any option eventually paid the full retail cost of pregabalin. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of the pharmacy program on pregabalin and alternative medication use, health care costs, and health care utilization. METHODS: This retrospective analysis of claims data included adult commercial health plan members with a retail claim for pregabalin in the first 13 months of the pharmacy program (identification [ID] period: February 1, 2010-February 28, 2011). Members whose benefit plan included the pharmacy program were assigned to the program cohort; all others were assigned to the nonprogram cohort. The program cohort index date was the first retail pregabalin claim during the ID period and after the program start; the nonprogram cohort index date was the first retail pregabalin claim during the ID period. All members were continuously enrolled for 12 months pre- and post-index and had at least 1 inpatient claim or ≥ 2 ambulatory visit claims for a pregabalin-indicated condition. Cohorts were propensity score matched (PSM) 1:1 with logistic regression on demographic and pre-index characteristics, including mail order and pregabalin use, comorbidity, health care costs, and health care utilization. Pregabalin, gabapentin and other alternative medication use, health care costs, and health care utilization were measured. The program cohort was also divided into 2 groups: members who changed to gabapentin post-index and those who did not. A difference-in-differences (DiD) analysis was used to compare the between-cohort change in pregabalin and alternative medication use patterns, health care costs, and health care resource utilization from pre- to post-index. The within-cohort change from pre- to post-index was analyzed by McNemar's test (categorical variables) or paired t-test (continuous variables). The Rao-Scott chi-square test (categorical) and general estimating equations (continuous) were used to analyze between-cohort differences at each time point. Differences in program member characteristics of those who changed versus those who did not change to gabapentin post-index were assessed by traditional chi-square test (categorical) or two-sample t-test (continuous variables). RESULTS: A total of 1,218 members in each cohort were PSM. Mean age was 51 years, 76.7% were women, and the most common pregabalin-indicated condition was fibromyalgia (77.6%). After the program start, the mean number of pregabalin claims from mail order and retail combined decreased in the program cohort from 4.7 pre-index to 3.8 post-index, and increased in the nonprogram cohort from 4.7 pre-index to 6.2 post-index (DiD, P < 0.001). Pregabalin mail order use increased from 3.1% to 48.1% of program members versus 2.8% to 9.4% of nonprogram members (DiD, P < 0.001). Program members were also more likely to change to the anticonvulsant gabapentin post-index than were nonprogram members (31.0% vs. 15.9%, P < 0.001). Mean total health care costs were similar between cohorts, and the pre- to post-index change did not differ between cohorts (DiD, P = 0.474). However, mean total pharmacy costs rose from pre-index to post-index by $820 and $790 in the program and nonprogram cohorts, respectively (both P < 0.001); the increase was similar between cohorts (DiD, P = 0.888). Program members who changed to gabapentin had a higher mean comorbidity score (P = 0.001) and greater post-index use of opioids, alternative medications, and health care resources (P < 0.050) than program members who did not change to gabapentin. CONCLUSIONS: The pharmacy program increased mail order use of pregabalin but reduced pregabalin claims from any venue. Program members were more likely to change to gabapentin than were nonprogram members, and those who changed had higher comorbidity, use of alternative medication, and health care resources. Despite increased mail order use for pregabalin and greater change to gabapentin by program members, the pharmacy program was not cost saving with respect to mean pharmacy or total health care costs.

Persistence and adherence with urinary antispasmodic medications among employees and the impact of adherence on costs and absenteeism.

BACKGROUND: Overactive bladder (OAB) and related conditions, such as urge urinary incontinence (UI), can interfere with work, leisure activities, and healthy sleep patterns. OBJECTIVES: To report (a) employee urinary antispasmodic (UA) medication persistence and adherence; (b) the impact of salary and copay on adherence; and (c) the impact of UA adherence on medical, pharmacy, sick leave (SL), short- and long-term disability (STD, LTD), workers' compensation costs, work absence days, and turnover. METHODS: This retrospective study used a 2001-2011 database of claims, payroll, and demographic data from 27 large U.S. employers. Employees aged 18-64 years taking UA medications with health plan enrollment from 6 months before the index UA medication prescription to 12 months after were included. Persistence (days until first ≥ 30-day gap in UA medication supply) and adherence (percentage of the annual post-index period with available medication) were assessed using survival analysis and generalized linear regression models that controlled for demographics, job-related factors, copay, and pre-index employee benefit utilization.  RESULTS: 2,960 employees met study criteria. Median days of persistence by OAB subtype were 76, 82, 43, 66, and 60 for urge UI, mixed UI, nocturnal UI, other OAB, and no diagnosis, respectively (P less than 0.05 for urge and mixed vs. no diagnosis). Increased copay and copay as a percentage of salary were associated with lower adherence. Employees with ≥ 80% adherence had lower medical, SL, and STD and higher overall drug costs than employees with less than 80% adherence.  CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests potential economic benefits to employers from increased UA adherence. Additionally, economic factors such as ability to pay influence adherence to UA medications.

Economic burden of urge urinary incontinence in the workplace.

OBJECTIVE: Quantify incremental employee medical, pharmacy, sick leave, short- and long-term disability, and workers' compensation costs, absence days, and turnover associated with urge urinary incontinence (UUI) in employees. METHODS: This retrospective 2001-2011 database comparison of employees with UUI versus those without UUI (controls) included employees aged 18.5 to 64.0 years at index, with 6-month preindex and 12-month postindex health plan enrollment. Logistic and generalized linear models measured postindex costs, absences, and turnover. RESULTS: The study included 1448 employees with UUI and 337,796 controls. Employees with UUI had statistically significantly higher medical (131% higher), pharmacy (52%), sick leave (30%), and short-term disability (74%) costs and more sick leave (22%) and short-term disability (99%) days than controls (all P < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Employees with UUI had 117% greater medical and pharmacy costs, 47% greater total absence costs, and 63% more absence days than employees without UUI.

Concomitant use of antipsychotics and drugs that may prolong the QT interval.

Concomitant use of drugs that prolong the QT interval is a risk factor for torsades de pointes, a ventricular arrhythmia associated with sudden death. This study compared the concomitant use of drugs that may prolong the QT interval ("other QT drugs") among two groups of patients: one that took antipsychotics that may prolong the QT interval (the QT antipsychotic group, n = 1,750) and one that used antipsychotics that do not result in QT prolongation (the non-QT antipsychotic group, n = 1,139). Data were pharmacy claim and eligibility information from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2000, from a research database of a large pharmacy benefit manager. Concomitant use of antipsychotics and other QT drugs was examined for each participant over a 3- to 12-month follow-up period. Results showed that 51% of QT antipsychotic group members used other QT drugs concomitantly for at least 1 day in the follow-up period. Logistic regression indicated that there was no significant difference between the QT antipsychotic and non-QT antipsychotic groups with concomitant use of other QT drugs when potential confounders were controlled ( p = 0.6013). Although female sex is a risk factor for drug-induced torsades de pointes, women were more likely to concomitantly use other QT drugs than men in both the QT (56.2% vs. 43.2%; p < 0.001) and non-QT (53.1% vs. 43.0%;p < 0.001) antipsychotic groups. Findings suggest that the use of other QT drugs is not being minimized among patients taking QT antipsychotics.