Impact of Introducing Infliximab Biosimilars on Total Infliximab Consumption and Originator Infliximab Prices in Eight Regions: An Interrupted Time-Series Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess whether the introduction of the first infliximab biosimilar was associated with changes in overall infliximab consumption (originator and biosimilars) and price changes to the originator infliximab. METHODS: An interrupted time series analysis using infliximab sales data from 2010 to 2020 from the IQVIA Multinational Integrated Data Analysis System for eight selected regions: Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, India, Japan, the UK, and the USA. Quarterly measures of infliximab consumption and list prices were respectively defined as the number of standard units (SU)/1000 inhabitants and as 2020 USA dollars (USD)/SU. RESULTS: Following the introduction of infliximab biosimilars, overall infliximab consumption increased in Australia [immediate change: 0.145 SU/1000 inhabitants (P = 0.014); long-term change: 0.022 SU/1000 inhabitants per quarter (P < 0.001)], Canada [immediate change 0.415 (P = 0.008)], the UK [long-term change 0.024 (P < 0.001)], and Hong Kong [immediate change: 0.042 (P < 0.001)]. The list price of originator infliximab also decreased following biosimilar introduction in Australia [immediate change: - 187.84 USD/SU (P < 0.001); long-term change - 6.46 USD/SU per quarter (P = 0.043)], Canada [immediate change: - 145.58 (P < 0.001)], the UK [immediate change: - 34.95 (P = 0.010); long-term change: - 4.77 (P < 0.001)], and Hong Kong [long-term change: - 4.065 (P = 0.046)]. Consumption and price changes were inconsistent in India, Japan, Korea, and the USA. CONCLUSIONS: Introduction of the first infliximab biosimilar was not consistently associated with increased consumption across regions. Additional policy and healthcare system interventions to support biosimilar infliximab adoption are needed.

Monoclonal antibodies and Fc-fusion protein biologic medicines: A multinational cross-sectional investigation of accessibility and affordability in Asia Pacific regions between 2010 and 2020.

Background: Monoclonal antibody (mAb) and Fc-fusion protein (FcP) are highly effective therapeutic biologics. We aimed to analyse consumption and expenditure trends in 14 Asia-Pacific countries/regions (APAC) and three benchmark countries (the UK, Canada, and the US). Methods: We analysed 440 mAb and FcP biological products using the IQVIA-MIDAS global sales database. For each year between 2010 and 2020 inclusive, we used standard units (SU) sold per 1000 population and manufacture level price (standardised in 2019 US dollars) to evaluate consumption (accessibility) and expenditure (affordability). Changes of consumption and expenditure were estimated using compound annual growth rate (CAGR). Correlations between consumption, country's economic and health performance indicators were measured using Spearman correlation coefficient. Findings: Between 2010 and 2020, CAGRs of consumption in each region ranged from 7% to 34% and the CAGRs of expenditure ranged from 9% to 31%. The median consumption of biologics was extremely low in lower-middle-income economies (0·29 SU/1000 population) compared with upper-middle-income economies (1·20), high-income economies (40·94) and benchmark countries (109·55), although the median CAGRs of biologics consumption in lower-middle-income economies (31%) was greater than upper-middle-income (14%), high-income economies (13%) and benchmark countries (9%). Consumption was correlated with GDP per capita [Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (r) = 0·75, p < 0·001], health expenditure as a percentage of total (r = 0·83, p < 0·001) and medical doctors' density (r = 0·85, p < 0·001). Interpretation: There have been significant increases in mAb and FcP biologics consumption and expenditure, however accessibility of biological medicines remains unequal and is largely correlated with country's income level. Funding: This research was funded by NHMRC Project Grant GNT1157506 and GNT1196900; Enhanced Start-up Fund for new academic staff and Internal Research Fund, Department of Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong.

Too many pills, too many sick older Australians: Working together is key.

BACKGROUND: Australians living in aged care facilities are clinically complex, with multiple comorbidities treated with multiple medicines. Over the past 12 months, there has been unprecedented focus on harm from medications in aged care. This led the Australian Government to fund enhancements to the Residential Medication Management Review (RMMR) program. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to discuss how the enhanced RMMR program will address barriers and support general practitioners to make medication changes for older Australians. DISCUSSION: These enhancements are intended to provide a complete cycle of care over nine months, with ongoing collaboration within the healthcare team including residents. This will allow a team approach to medication changes and monitoring resident response over time. Progress reports will provide a history of outcomes with respect to successful and unsuccessful medication changes. Successful outcomes for residents rely on the healthcare team working together.

Medication-related quality of care in residential aged care: an Australian experience.

OBJECTIVE: To describe medication-related quality of care (MRQOC) for Australian aged care residents. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort using an administrative healthcare claims database. SETTING: Australian residential aged care. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 17 672 aged care residents who were alive at 1 January 2013 and had been a permanent resident for at least 3 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Overall, 23 evidence-based MRQOC indicators which assessed the use of appropriate medications in chronic disease, exposure to high-risk medications and access to collaborative health services. RESULTS: Key findings included underuse of recommended cardiovascular medications, such as the use of statins in cardiovascular disease (56.1%). Overuse of high-risk medications was detected for medications associated with falls (73.5%), medications with moderate to strong anticholinergic properties (46.1%), benzodiazepines (41.4%) and antipsychotics (33.2%). Collaborative health services such as medication reviews were underutilised (42.6%). CONCLUSION: MRQOC activities in this population should be targeted at monitoring and reducing exposure to antipsychotics and benzodiazepines, improving the use of preventative medications for cardiovascular disease and improving access to collaborative health services. Similarity of suboptimal MRQOC between Australia and other countries (UK, USA, Canada and Belgium) presents an opportunity for an internationally collaborative approach to improving care for aged care residents.

Implementation of medication-related indicators of potentially preventable hospitalizations in a national chronic disease management program for older patients with multimorbidity.

INITIAL ASSESSMENT: Older people are at increased risk of medication-related potentially preventable hospitalizations (MR-PPH) due to the presence of multiple chronic conditions (multimorbidity) and subsequent polypharmacy. CHOICE OF SOLUTION: A pilot study was conducted, using evidence-based indicators to detect older patients in a chronic disease management program (CDMP) at risk of hospitalization due to sub-optimal medication use. IMPLEMENTATION: Previously validated indicators for MR-PPH were applied to patients with multimorbidity, aged 65 years or older and who were enrolled in a national community-based CDMP. Nurse-led telephone interviews and case note abstraction were used as data sources. EVALUATION: Nineteen patients triggered the MR-PPH indicators 85 times with a median of four per patient. Sub-optimal medication management was identified 34 times (40%) with a median of two per patient. The most common reasons for sub-optimal medication management were exposure to medications associated with falls, underuse of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin-2 receptor blocker medications for cardiovascular disease and low rates of hemoglobin A1c and renal monitoring in patients with diabetes. LESSONS LEARNED: This study has shown the utility of MR-PPH indicators within a CDMP to identify and monitor sub-optimal medication-related care. Implementation and ongoing monitoring of these types of indicators can support the development of targeted programs to reduce the ongoing risk of adverse events in the older population and improve the overall quality of life.

Trends in general practitioner services to residents in aged care.

To date, access to appropriate and timely GP services for those in aged care has been described as limited, in part due to inadequate models of care and remuneration. As the Australian population ages and more Australians become dependent on aged-care services, the need for good quality medical care that meets the needs of residents will continue to grow. The purpose of this study was to provide a current analysis of trends in GP services in residents in Australian aged-care facilities. Longitudinal population data (2005-2014) was used to describe the changing population demographics and calculate annual rates for GP services specific to this population. Total population and age-group strata (<85 years and 85+ years) rates were calculated for standard consultations, after-hours consultations, contribution to a care plan and collaborative medication review. For the period 2005-2014 there was an increase of 1.5 million GP services to this population, which had simultaneously grown by 19800 residents, aged (6% increase in residents aged 85+ years) and become more dependent (14% increase is high-care residents). Significant increases in all GP service rates were observed, with a shift towards after-hours consultations. Residents aged <85 years received significantly more services than residents aged 85+ years. GP service delivery to the whole aged-care population continues to be heavily weighted towards standard and after-hours consultations, while collaborative GP services remain a very small proportion of services accessed by this population. There is scope to increase collaborative GP services, which have been linked to improved outcomes for this population.

Evaluating medication-related quality of care in residential aged care: a systematic review.

Given the growing aged care population, the complexity of their medication-related needs and increased risk of adverse drug events, there is a necessity to systematically monitor and manage medication-related quality of care. The aim of this systematic review was to identify and synthesise medication-related quality of care indicators with respect to application to residential aged care. MEDLINE (Ovid), Psychinfo, CINAHL, Embase and Google® were searched from 2001 to 2013 for studies that were in English, focused on older people aged 65+ years and discussed the development, application or validation of original medication-related quality of care indicators. The quality of selected articles was appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program and psychometric qualities extracted and synthesised using content analysis. Indicators were mapped to six medication-related quality of care attributes and a minimum indicator set derived. Thirty three articles describing 25 indicator sets met the inclusion criteria. Thirteen (52%) contained prescribing quality indicators only. Eight (32%) were developed specifically for aged care. Twenty three (92%) were validated and seven (28%) assessed for reliability. The most common attribute addressed was medication appropriateness (n = 24). There were no indicators for evaluating medication use in those with limited life expectancy, which resulted in only five of the six attributes being addressed. The developed minimum indicator set contains 28 indicators representing 22 of 25 identified indicator sets. Whilst a wide variety of validated indicator sets exist, none addressed all aspects of medication-related quality of care pertinent to residential aged care. The minimum indicator set is intended as a foundation for comprehensively evaluating medication-related quality of care in this setting. Future work should focus on bridging identified gaps.

Hospital admissions from residential aged care facilities to a major public hospital in South Australia (1999-2005).

AIM: To describe admissions patterns of residential aged care facility (RACF) residents admitted to a major public hospital. DESIGN, SETTING: Retrospective longitudinal study linking hospital admissions and the Department of Health and Ageing RACF provider data from July 1999 to June 2005. PARTICIPANTS: All permanent residents of aged care facilities in South Australia admitted to a single public hospital. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Description of primary diagnoses and trends. RESULTS: There were 3310 admissions from 147 RACFs across South Australia. The most frequent primary diagnoses were fractured femur/pelvis, pneumonia and ischaemic heart disease. Two diagnoses increased significantly with an 11% annual increase for infections and a 5% increase for femur fractures. CONCLUSION: Admissions from RACFs to a major South Australian public hospital are increasing primarily because of admissions for femur fractures and infections in high care. These conditions could be targeted for interventions to reduce hospital admissions.