Mia E. Lussier , Ravi J. Desai , Eric A. Wright , Michael R. Gionfriddo
{"title":"Impact of cost on prescribing diabetes medications for older adults with type 2 diabetes in the outpatient setting","authors":"Mia E. Lussier , Ravi J. Desai , Eric A. Wright , Michael R. Gionfriddo","doi":"10.1016/j.sapharm.2024.04.013","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Newer diabetes medications have cardiorenal benefits beyond blood sugar lowering that make them a preferred treatment option in many patients. Despite this, studies have shown that prescribing of these medications remains suboptimal with medication costs being hypothesized as a reason for underutilization.</p></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><p>To understand clinicians’ decision-making processes for prescribing diabetes medications in older adults, focusing on higher cost medications.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>Observations of patient encounters and semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinicians from primary care, endocrinology, and geriatrics to elucidate themes into diabetes medication prescribing. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to analyze the data from interviews using an inductive coding scheme with themes derived from the data.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Twenty-one interviews were conducted. Five themes were identified: 1) out-of-pocket costs drive prescribing decisions 2) out-of-pocket costs can be variable due to changing insurance plans or changing coverage 3) clinicians have difficulty with determining patient-specific out-of-pocket costs 4) clinicians manage the tradeoffs existing between cost, efficacy, and safety and 5) clinicians can use cost-modifying strategies such as patient assistance.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Addressing the challenges that medication costs pose to prescribing evidence-based medications for type 2 diabetes is necessary to optimize diabetes care for older adults.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48126,"journal":{"name":"Research in Social & Administrative Pharmacy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Research in Social & Administrative Pharmacy","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1551741124001499","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Newer diabetes medications have cardiorenal benefits beyond blood sugar lowering that make them a preferred treatment option in many patients. Despite this, studies have shown that prescribing of these medications remains suboptimal with medication costs being hypothesized as a reason for underutilization.
Objective
To understand clinicians’ decision-making processes for prescribing diabetes medications in older adults, focusing on higher cost medications.
Methods
Observations of patient encounters and semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinicians from primary care, endocrinology, and geriatrics to elucidate themes into diabetes medication prescribing. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to analyze the data from interviews using an inductive coding scheme with themes derived from the data.
Results
Twenty-one interviews were conducted. Five themes were identified: 1) out-of-pocket costs drive prescribing decisions 2) out-of-pocket costs can be variable due to changing insurance plans or changing coverage 3) clinicians have difficulty with determining patient-specific out-of-pocket costs 4) clinicians manage the tradeoffs existing between cost, efficacy, and safety and 5) clinicians can use cost-modifying strategies such as patient assistance.
Conclusion
Addressing the challenges that medication costs pose to prescribing evidence-based medications for type 2 diabetes is necessary to optimize diabetes care for older adults.
期刊介绍:
Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy (RSAP) is a quarterly publication featuring original scientific reports and comprehensive review articles in the social and administrative pharmaceutical sciences. Topics of interest include outcomes evaluation of products, programs, or services; pharmacoepidemiology; medication adherence; direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medications; disease state management; health systems reform; drug marketing; medication distribution systems such as e-prescribing; web-based pharmaceutical/medical services; drug commerce and re-importation; and health professions workforce issues.