PRESCRIPTION DRUG SPENDING
More Balk at Cost of Prescriptions
WSJ.com. October 12, 2010. Rockoff J.D.
Growing numbers of Americans with health insurance are walking away from their prescriptions at the pharmacy counter, the latest indication that efforts to contain costs may be curbing health-care consumption.
A review of insurance-claims data shows that so-called abandonment—when a patient refuses to purchase or pick up a prescription that was filled and packaged by a pharmacist—was up 55% in the second quarter of this year, compared with four years earlier. To read the full article, please click here.
The Top Five Therapeutic Classes of Outpatient Prescription Drugs Ranked by Total Expense for Adults Age 18 and Over in the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population
AHRQ Statistical Brief #232
Using data from the 2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS-HC), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) determined the top five therapeutic classes of outpatient prescription drugs by total expense for adults (age 18 and over) in the U.S. Based on total expenses, the top 5 classes for 2006 were: metabolic agents ($38.1 billion), cardiovascular agents ($33.1 billion), central nervous system agents ($28.2 billion), psychotherapeutic agents ($17.5 billion), and hormones ($14 billion). Researchers also looked at what proportion of overall prescription drug expenses was being spent on these medications and calculated the average expense per prescription. To read the full report, please click here.
DIABETES
An Overview of Management Issues in Adult Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Despite some progress in reducing the rate of diabetic complications, the epidemic rise in incidence of diabetes mellitus ensures that there will be an increasing number of patients in the coming decades with complex health care management issues who will need efficient and effective care. The management of patients with diabetes is an ever-challenging endeavor attributable to several factors. These include, among others, (1) limited provider expertise, (2) decreasing time of a patient visit, (3) increasing complexity of drug management, (4) limited use of self-monitoring of blood glucose by patients and/or providers, (5) clinical inertia, and (6) nonadherence. Technology-driven innovative solutions, including those using virtual reality, are desperately needed to assist both patients and their providers in overcoming the exigencies of this protean disease.
To read the full Overview, please click here.
Economic and Health Costs of Diabetes
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project used hospital care data to examine the effects of diabetes and its complications on health status, hospitalizations, and economic costs. This report highlights some of the major findings and points to the strong need for both high quality care and promotion of patient adherence to that care in order to minimize both the economic and health costs of diabetes.
To read the full report, please click on the following link: http://www.ahrq.gov/data/hcup/highlight1/high1.pdf
Nationally Representative Medical Costs of Diabetes by Time Since Diagnosis
Trogdon J.G. & Hylands, T.
Researchers used the results of two nationally representative surveys to estimate the medical costs of diabetes over time. On average, individuals with diabetes have yearly medical expenses that are 239% higher than those without diabetes. To put this in actual dollars, the average 50-year-old that has just been diagnosed with diabetes has about $4,174 more medical costs each year than an identical person without it. In addition, the medical costs for these individuals increase over time. Read more...
CHRONIC CONDITIONS
Study Finds Home Health Monitoring May Significantly Improve Blood Pressure Control
Patients using home monitoring were 50 percent more likely to have their blood pressure in control
To get more information about the study, please click on the link below.
http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter/pressreleases/co/2010/052110telehealthstudy.html
Rising Out-of-Pocket Spending For Chronic Conditions: A Ten-Year Trend
The prevalence of chronic conditions in the United States has increased since 1996, and not just among the oldest old
Paez KT, Zhao L & Hwang W
This article presents an analysis of data from the 2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to determine how prevalent chronic conditions are among individuals in the United States. The data revealed a large increase in the number of conditions present among adults of all ages since 1996. Additionally, a greater number of individuals are living with more than one condition. Read more...