Samuel R Bunting, Robert O Cotes, Kathryn Gray, Kristen Chalmers, Thuy D Nguyen
{"title":"Trends in Formulary Restrictions for Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotic Medications Among Medicare Drug Plans, 2019-2023.","authors":"Samuel R Bunting, Robert O Cotes, Kathryn Gray, Kristen Chalmers, Thuy D Nguyen","doi":"10.1176/appi.ps.20230593","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIAPs) enable safe and effective long-term management of chronic psychotic disorders but are underused in clinical practice. The authors examined whether Medicare formulary restrictions (prior authorization [PA] or step therapy) impose barriers to LAIAP uptake.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The authors analyzed formulary restrictions and patient cost-sharing for several LAIAPs and estimated the percentage of plans (N=2,494 were available per year) applying formulary restrictions. Analyses were stratified by Medicare Advantage, dual Medicare-Medicaid eligibility plans, and Part D plan group and weighted by the number of enrollees at the per-year, per-plan level.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Application of formulary restrictions for LAIAPs was low (<12% requiring PA [apart from olanzapine] and <4% requiring step therapy) and decreased among nearly all plan types between 2019 and 2023.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Formulary restrictions do not appear to present a significant barrier to use of LAIAPs for psychiatric patients with Medicare prescription drug coverage. Additional research is needed to further understand factors influencing LAIAP use.</p>","PeriodicalId":20878,"journal":{"name":"Psychiatric services","volume":" ","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Psychiatric services","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.20230593","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"HEALTH POLICY & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: Long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIAPs) enable safe and effective long-term management of chronic psychotic disorders but are underused in clinical practice. The authors examined whether Medicare formulary restrictions (prior authorization [PA] or step therapy) impose barriers to LAIAP uptake.
Methods: The authors analyzed formulary restrictions and patient cost-sharing for several LAIAPs and estimated the percentage of plans (N=2,494 were available per year) applying formulary restrictions. Analyses were stratified by Medicare Advantage, dual Medicare-Medicaid eligibility plans, and Part D plan group and weighted by the number of enrollees at the per-year, per-plan level.
Results: Application of formulary restrictions for LAIAPs was low (<12% requiring PA [apart from olanzapine] and <4% requiring step therapy) and decreased among nearly all plan types between 2019 and 2023.
Conclusions: Formulary restrictions do not appear to present a significant barrier to use of LAIAPs for psychiatric patients with Medicare prescription drug coverage. Additional research is needed to further understand factors influencing LAIAP use.
期刊介绍:
Psychiatric Services, established in 1950, is published monthly by the American Psychiatric Association. The peer-reviewed journal features research reports on issues related to the delivery of mental health services, especially for people with serious mental illness in community-based treatment programs. Long known as an interdisciplinary journal, Psychiatric Services recognizes that provision of high-quality care involves collaboration among a variety of professionals, frequently working as a team. Authors of research reports published in the journal include psychiatrists, psychologists, pharmacists, nurses, social workers, drug and alcohol treatment counselors, economists, policy analysts, and professionals in related systems such as criminal justice and welfare systems. In the mental health field, the current focus on patient-centered, recovery-oriented care and on dissemination of evidence-based practices is transforming service delivery systems at all levels. Research published in Psychiatric Services contributes to this transformation.