Related Experiment Videos
Psychotropic medication expenditures for community-dwelling elderly persons.
Rajender Aparasu1, Jane Mort, Heather Brandt
1College of Pharmacy, South Dakota State University, Box 2202C, 1 Administration Lane, Brookings, SD 57007, USA. rajender_aparasu@sdstate.edu
Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.)
|April 30, 2003
Summary
Elderly Americans spent over $1 billion on psychotropic medications, with antidepressants being the most expensive. Increased generic use and Medicare plans may lower these costs for seniors.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Health Economics
- Psychopharmacology
Background:
- Psychotropic medication use is prevalent among community-dwelling elderly individuals in the United States.
- Understanding the financial burden of these medications is crucial for healthcare policy and patient support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze psychotropic medication expenditures among community-dwelling elderly persons in the U.S. using 1996 data.
- To identify the most costly psychotropic drug classes and estimate out-of-pocket spending.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).
- Calculated total and out-of-pocket expenditures for psychotropic agents.
- Categorized expenditures by drug class, including antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), benzodiazepines, and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs).
Main Results:
- Total psychotropic medication expenditures reached an estimated $1.07 billion in 1996, with 53% paid out-of-pocket.
- Antidepressants constituted 61% of total expenditures, with SSRIs ($469 million), benzodiazepines ($241 million), and TCAs ($119 million) being the highest cost categories.
- Adjusted for inflation, estimated expenditures rose to $1.41 billion by 2002.
Conclusions:
- Psychotropic medications represent a significant financial outlay for the elderly population.
- Strategies such as promoting generic medication use and leveraging Medicare prescription plans could potentially alleviate the financial burden on elderly individuals.
- Further research into cost-effective psychotropic prescribing patterns is warranted.