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Rhode Island Has the Highest Rate of Medicare Part D Claims for Benzodiazepines Among New England States
William Finke1, Stephen J Kogut2
1PharmD Student, University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, Kingston, RI.
Background:
Benzodiazepine use among older adults is discouraged.
Methods:
We analyzed the Medicare Part D Prescribers by Provider and Drug dataset to determine the number of benzodiazepine claims per 100 Medicare enrollees for each NE state between 2016-2020, and to determine the percentage of benzodiazepine claims by provider type.
Results:
Rhode Island led all NE states the with highest annual rates of Part D benzodiazepine claims for all years from 2016 to 2020. Benzodiazepine claims decreased in all NE states over the 5-year period. Internal medicine and family practice providers were associated with the highest percentage of benzodiazepine claims.
Conclusion:
While Part D benzodiazepine claims declined between 2016-2020, the overall volume of dispensings suggests that these medications remain overprescribed among older adults. Our findings underscore the need for intensified efforts to reduce benzo- diazepine use among Medicare beneficiaries in RI.
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