Disparities in Medicare beneficiaries' receiving medication synchronization

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Pharmacy Practice
• Health Equity

Background:

• Medication synchronization (med-sync) consolidates prescription refills to a single pickup date.
• Understanding enrollment disparities is crucial for equitable access to med-sync programs.
• Medicare beneficiaries' characteristics influence participation in med-sync.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate disparities in med-sync enrollment among Medicare beneficiaries.
• To analyze enrollment patterns based on predisposing, enabling, and need characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries (2014-2016).
• Comparison of med-sync and non-med-sync patient cohorts.
• Logistic regression analysis guided by Andersen's Health Services Utilization Model.

Main Results:

• 170,180 beneficiaries included; 13,193 in the med-sync cohort.
• Older age, Northeast/South/West regions, and metro areas were associated with higher med-sync enrollment.
• Increased chronic medications, comorbidities, and outpatient visits correlated with higher enrollment odds.

Conclusions:

• Med-sync enrollment disparities exist across age, geography, and health utilization factors.
• Opportunities for program expansion are identified to address these inequities.
• Further research needed to develop targeted outreach strategies for underserved subgroups.