Evaluating Medication Day-Supply for Improving Adherence and Clinical Biomarkers of Hemoglobin A1c, Blood Pressure,...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacoeconomics and Health Outcomes Research
• Medication Adherence Studies
• Chronic Disease Management

Background:

• Medication supply duration influences patient adherence and health outcomes.
• Assessing the impact of 90-day vs. less-than-90-day supplies is crucial for optimizing chronic disease care.
• CMS Star Ratings incentivize adherence and quality metrics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the impact of 90-day and less-than-90-day medication supplies on prescription refill adherence.
• To evaluate the effect of supply duration on key clinical biomarkers: HbA1c, BP, and LDL.
• To determine if supply duration influences achievement of CMS Star Ratings quality metrics.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of patients on oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA), ACE inhibitors (ACEI), ARBs, and/or statins.
• Categorization of patients into 90-day and less-than-90-day supply groups.
• Adherence defined as ≥ 85% days covered; clinical biomarkers assessed against CMS-defined control cutoffs.

Main Results:

• A 90-day supply demonstrated statistically significant higher adherence rates across all drug classes compared to shorter supplies.
• No statistically significant differences were observed in clinical biomarkers (HbA1c, BP, LDL) between the 90-day and less-than-90-day supply groups.
• The 90-day supply group showed a trend towards better performance on CMS Star Ratings metrics.

Conclusions:

• A 90-day medication supply positively impacts prescription refill adherence, aligning with CMS Star Ratings goals.
• While adherence improves, a 90-day supply did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in HbA1c, BP, or LDL control in this cohort.
• Further research may be needed to explore the long-term clinical impact and optimal strategies for medication supply management.