Endocrine
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Observational Study
Generic levothyroxine initiation and substitution among Medicare and Medicaid populations: a new user cohort study.
Generic levothyroxine has been approved and available since 2004 but its substitution remains controversial. Therefore, the objective was to examine patterns of and identify factors associated with initiation and substitution of generic levothyroxine treatment. ⋯ Patient demographic factors and health service utilizations are associated with generic levothyroxine initiation and substitution. Educational outreach programs targeted to increase generic levothyroxine use and prescription savings should be tailored based on different patient populations.