American health & drug benefits
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Am Health Drug Benefits · Feb 2020
Association Between Formulary Coverage and Use of Abuse-Deterrent Prescription Opioids, Risk for Abuse or Overdose, and Associated Healthcare Resource Utilization.
Significant public health concerns exist regarding the misuse and abuse of prescription opioids. Abuse-deterrent formulation (ADF) opioids may be leveraged as an important tool for combating the current opioid crisis. ⋯ Broad formulary coverage of ADF opioids is associated with reduced rates of opioid abuse or overdose in real-world managed care populations. Health plan administrators and policymakers may consider improving the formulary coverage of ADF opioids as a strategy to ensure appropriate patient access to necessary pain medications while mitigating risk for opioid abuse or overdose.
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Am Health Drug Benefits · Oct 2019
Costs and Healthcare Resource Utilization Associated with Hospital Admissions of Patients with Metastatic or Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer.
Limited published information exists that compares the costs of metastatic prostate cancer with nonmetastatic prostate cancer. Although most research has focused on the costs of metastatic prostate cancer, delaying metastases in patients with nonmetastatic prostate cancer can reduce or delay healthcare resource utilization and any associated expenditures. ⋯ The results of this study demonstrate the increased economic burden associated with hospital admissions, particularly inpatient admissions, for patients with metastases compared with patients without metastases. In addition to the clinical burden on patients, these findings further highlight the importance of implementing treatment strategies that can delay progression to metastatic prostate cancer and subsequent increases in healthcare resource utilization and cost.
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Am Health Drug Benefits · Feb 2019
The Challenge of Variable Costs in Decisions Based on Cost-Effectiveness Evidence: A Case Study for Brodalumab.
Payers often consider cost-effectiveness studies for new drugs when making decisions on coverage, formulary position, and budgets; however, cost-effectiveness studies are often calculated using estimated pricing before a drug's launch. If the drug's price changes on or after launch, or if rebate programs are initiated, cost-effectiveness studies need to be updated to prevent payers from making decisions using inaccurate value assumptions, which can lead to unexpected financial impacts and potentially delay patient access to drugs. ⋯ Because payers, providers, and patients are all concerned with achieving better outcomes for the often painful and disfiguring disease of plaque psoriasis, while controlling costs, updating cost-effectiveness data when new pricing information becomes available may reveal significant cost differences to help stakeholders make better decisions about their population's healthcare outcomes and costs.
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Am Health Drug Benefits · Dec 2018
Potential Cost-Savings with Once-Daily Aminomethylcycline Antibiotic versus Vancomycin in Hospitalized Patients with Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections.
Omadacycline is an oral and intravenous (IV) once-daily aminomethylcycline antibiotic that was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI). In 2 phase 3 clinical trials, IV-to-oral switch and oral-only administration of omadacycline achieved the primary end points of noninferiority compared with linezolid in treating patients with ABSSSI. ⋯ These results suggest that the targeted use of antibiotics with bioequivalent IV-to-oral formulations, such as omadacycline, for select patients with ABSSSI may lead to cost-savings compared with inpatient IV vancomycin treatment by shifting care to the outpatient setting or by facilitating earlier hospital discharge among hospitalized patients.
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Am Health Drug Benefits · Sep 2017
Medication Adherence, Treatment Patterns, and Dose Reduction in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Receiving Abiraterone Acetate or Enzalutamide.
The efficacy of and overall survival associated with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) treatments rely on patients' consistent adherence to the recommended dosage regimens. ⋯ Patients who initiated abiraterone acetate therapy had higher medication adherence and lower risk for dose reduction than those who initiated enzalutamide therapy. Improved medication adherence may be associated with longer duration of treatment, which in turn may lead to better survival. Further research is needed to assess the potential effect of medication adherence on the overall survival of patients with metastatic CRPC.