Do interventions that address patient cost-sharing improve adherence to prescription drugs? A systematic review of recently published studies.

Do interventions that address patient cost-sharing improve adherence to prescription drugs? A systematic review of recently published studies. Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res. 2019 Jan 10;: Authors: Sensharma A, Yabroff KR Abstract INTRODUCTION: Poor prescription drug adherence is common, jeopardizing the benefits of treatment and increasing the costs of health care in the United States. A frequently reported barrier to adherence is patient out-of-pocket (OOP) costs. Areas Covered: This systematic review examines interventions that address patient cost sharing to improve adherence to prescription drugs and reduce costs of care. Twenty-eight published studies were identified with twenty-two distinct interventions. The majority of papers were published in or after 2010, and nearly a third were published in or after 2015. Expert Opinion: Many of the interventions were associated with improved adherence compared to controls, but effects were modest and varied across drug classes. In some studies, adherence remained stable in the intervention group, but declined in the control group. Patient OOP costs generally declined following the intervention, usually as a direct result of the financial structure of the intervention, such as elimination of copayments, and costs to health plans for prescription drugs increased accordingly. For those studies that reported drug and nondrug costs, lower health plan nondrug medical spending generally ...
Source: Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research - Category: Health Management Tags: Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res Source Type: research