Does improved medication adherence reduce inpatient hospital expenditures?
International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing
ISSN: 1750-6123
Article publication date: 4 September 2017
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to assess whether patients [who receive community pharmacy services at locations where routine medication therapy management (MTM) care is reimbursed] who were adherent to their medications generated lower inpatient hospitalization expenses.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a retrospective, descriptive and cross-sectional study using administrative claims data drawn from 84 community pharmacies in North Dakota. The included patients were enrolled in a Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota insurance plan and were taking one or more of eight groups of medications (metformin, antidepressants, anti-asthmatics, ACEs/ARBs, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics and statins) commonly prescribed to treat chronic conditions filled between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. Community pharmacists used software that allowed the pharmacists to provide and bill for MTM services. Data from these sources were used to calculate medication adherence and inpatient costs.
Findings
Patients prescribed a beta blocker, a calcium channel blocker, and a diuretic or an anti-diabetic medication, and those who are fully adherent to their medications were associated with significantly lower inpatient hospitalization costs (as measured by insurance payments to hospitals) as compared to non-adherent patients. Patients who were fully adherent to their medications had no statistically significant differences in patient-specific costs compared to non-adherent patients.
Originality/value
Patients receiving services at a community pharmacy that offers MTM services and those who were adherent to their medication regimens generate lower health care expenses. Most of the savings come from lower hospitalization expenses, rather than patient-paid expenses.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was funded by a grant from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation. The views expressed in this article are strictly those of the authors.
The authors acknowledge the participation of the pharmacists in the North Dakota MediQHome Project and the participating partners in this project are: Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota and their participating MediQHomes (medical homes), Outcomes Incorporated and the Thrifty White Drug Stores. A paper was presented at the AMCP’s Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA, April 9-10, 2015.
Citation
Scott, D.M., Christensen, T., Zhang, A. and Friesner, D.L. (2017), "Does improved medication adherence reduce inpatient hospital expenditures?", International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 248-270. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPHM-07-2016-0034
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited