Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy
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J Manag Care Spec Pharm · Nov 2014
Predictors of treatment initiation with tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Introduction of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) has revolutionized treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, due to substantially higher costs of biologics compared with nonbiologics, patients with less insurance generosity may have difficulty affording these agents, which may lead to potential access disparities. ⋯ Potential disparities in the initiation of TNF-α inhibitors among RA patients on monotherapy DMARDs at baseline were noted among older patients, patients in certain geographic region of the United States, and patients with less generous prescription drug benefits. Although future research should examine the impact of these disparities on health outcomes, payers should be aware of the potential for undertreatment among these groups of RA patients when making formulary decisions.