Adherence and persistence to prescribed medication therapy among Medicare part D beneficiaries on dialysis: comparisons of benefit type and benefit phase.

CONCLUSIONS: More than half of Medicare beneficiaries on dialysis reached the Part D coverage gap in 2007. Our findings suggest that the Part D coverage gap was significantly associated with decreases in adherence and persistence for medications frequently used in patients undergoing dialysis. Patients who reached the coverage gap (Cohort 2) often decreased use of or discontinued critical medications after reaching the coverage gap. Compared with patients who had an LIS (Cohort 4), patients in Cohort 2 had significantly lower medication adherence and persistence levels. The negative impact of the Part D coverage gap (high out-of-pocket cost sharing) on medication adherence and persistence for Medicare-eligible dialysis patients has implications for currently proposed Medicare end-stage renal disease bundled reimbursement payment and requires more research. PMID: 25062080 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: J Manag Care Pharm Source Type: research