Diabetes Medication Synchronization Linked with Higher Adherence, Lower Costs

Medication synchronization was associated with better medication adherence, fewer hospital admissions, and lower healthcare costs in a population of patients with diabetes, according to a poster presented at the recent AMCP Nexus 2019: The Intersection of Value and Care meeting.

“Individuals with diabetes often have multiple comorbidities and complex medication regimens that impact medication adherence,” researchers explained in the poster abstract. “One solution to improve adherence rates and reduce healthcare costs is medication synchronization, where complex medication refill schedules are standardized.”

The retrospective, cohort study compared 20,325 patients with diabetes with synchronized medication refill schedules to propensity-score matched control subjects. 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 subjects had a 57.4% drug adherence rate and median healthcare 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 subjects had a 70.4% drug adherence rate and median healthcare 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.

The poster was sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme.

—Jolynn Tumolo

Reference:
Nsiah I, Pickering M, Campbell P. Associations of Medication Synchronization: A Propensity Score-Matched Diabetes Cohort Study Evaluating Adherence, Healthcare Resource Utilization, and Expenditures. Poster presented at AMCP Nexus 2019: The Intersection of Value and Care; October 29-November 1, 2019; National Harbor, MD. Poster E7.