Diabetes Medication Synchronization Linked With Higher Adherence, Lower Costs

Medication synchronization was associated with better medication adherence, fewer hospital admissions, and lower health care costs in a population of patients with diabetes, according to a poster presented at AMCP Nexus 2019.

“Individuals with diabetes often have multiple comorbidities and complex medication regimens that impact medication adherence,” researchers explained in the poster abstract. 

The retrospective cohort study, sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme, compared 20,325 patients with diabetes with synchronized medication refill schedules to propensity-score matched control individuals. Participants were taking multiple medications.

Patients with commercial insurance and medication synchronization had a drug adherence rate of 67.7% and median healthcare expenditures of $3687, while control participants had a 57.4% drug adherence rate and median health care expenditures of $7480. With medication synchronization, the rate ratio of hospital admissions was 0.59, according to the poster abstract.

Patients with Medicare supplemental insurance and medication synchronization had a drug adherence rate of 86.5% and median healthcare expenditures of $7353, while control participants had a 70.4% drug adherence rate and median health care expenditures of $10,592. Meanwhile, the rate ratio of hospital admissions was 0.72 for patients with medication synchronization.

“Medication synchronization may facilitate improved health outcomes across various populations,” researchers concluded. —Jolynn Tumolo