"Impact of drug-reimbursement policies on prescribing: A case-study of a newly marketed long-acting injectable antipsychotic among relapsed schizophrenia patients"

Racial disparities in utilization of first-generation versus second-generation long-acting injectable antipsychotics in Medicaid beneficiaries with schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Multiple studies report racial disparities in antipsychotic prescription patterns. This study assessed demographic and clinical factors associated with the utilization of first-generation (FG) versus second-generation (SG) long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics.

METHODS

This retrospective, observational cohort analysis used claims data from the IBM MarketScan® Multi-State Medicaid database. The study included adults with an LAI claim between 01-January-2009 and 31-December-2018, an ICD-9-CM or ICD-10-CM diagnosis of schizophrenia, race recorded as Black or White, and ≥12 months of continuous enrollment before the index LAI. Descriptive analysis detailed the relationship between race and FG or SG LAI initiation. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess potential associations with FG vs. SG LAI initiation, including clinical and demographic factors, comorbidities, and index year.

RESULTS

A total of 10,773 patients were included: 6659 (62 %) Black and 4114 (38 %) White. Black patients had a higher utilization of FG LAIs than White patients (46.8 % vs. 38.9 %) over the 10 years analyzed. Black patients were more likely to utilize FG LAIs than White patients (odds ratio: 1.47; 95 % CI: 1.34, 1.62) after controlling for index year and covariates (race, age, gender, insurance plan type, Quan-Charlson Comorbidity index score, comorbidities, prior medications). Significant predictors of FG LAI utilization were older age, type of baseline oral antipsychotic (FG vs SG), type of coverage (managed care vs fee for service), and greater comorbidity burden.

CONCLUSION

The utilization of FG LAIs was greater in Black compared to White Medicaid beneficiaries with schizophrenia over a 10-year period. These findings suggest that racial disparities exist in LAI initiation, with implications for differential quality of schizophrenia treatment.

Inpatient prescribing patterns of long-acting injectables and their oral or short-acting injectable equivalent formulations

Background: Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics (APs) each have an oral equivalent formulation, while aripiprazole, olanzapine, and ziprasidone each also have a short-acting injectable (SAI) equivalent formulation. Inpatient prescribing patterns of LAIs and their oral/SAI equivalents are less characterized in populations other than Medicaid, Medicare, and Veterans Affairs populations. Mapping out inpatient prescribing patterns remains an important first step to ensure appropriate use of antipsychotics during this critical juncture of patient care prior to discharge. This study determined inpatient prescribing patterns of first- (FGA) and second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) LAIs and their oral/SAI formulations. Methods: This was a large retrospective study using the Cerner Health Facts® database. Hospital admissions due to schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder from 2010 to 2016 were identified. AP utilization was defined as the proportion of inpatient stays during which at least 1 AP was administered to the total number of inpatient visits over the observed period. Descriptive analyses were used to determine prescribing patterns for APs. Chi-square tests were used to determine utilization differences across years. Results: 94,989 encounters were identified. Encounters during which oral/SAI of SGA LAIs were administered were most common (n = 38,621, 41%). Encounters during which FGA LAIs or SGA LAIs were administered were the least common (n = 1,047, 1.1%). Prescribing patterns differed across years (p < 0.05) within the SGA LAI subgroup analysis (N = 6,014). Paliperidone palmitate (63%, N = 3,799) and risperidone (31%, N = 1,859) were the most frequently administered. Paliperidone palmitate utilization increased from 30% to 72% (p < 0.001), while risperidone utilization decreased from 70% to 18% (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Compared with their oral or SAI formulations, LAIs were underutilized from 2010 to 2016. Among SGA LAIs, the prescribing patterns of paliperidone palmitate and risperidone changed significantly.

An Updated Analysis of Psychotropic Medicine Utilisation in Older People in New Zealand from 2005 to 2019

BACKGROUND

Psychotropic medicine utilisation in older adults continues to be of interest because of overuse and concerns surrounding its safety and efficacy.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to characterise the utilisation of psychotropic medicines in older people in New Zealand.

METHODS

We conducted a repeated cross-sectional analysis of national dispensing data from 1 January, 2005 to 31 December, 2019. We defined utilisation using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification defined daily dose system. Utilisation was measured in terms of the defined daily dose (DDD) per 1000 older people per day (TOPD).

RESULTS

Overall, the utilisation of psychotropic medicines increased marginally by 0.42% between 2005 and 2019. The utilisation increased for antidepressants (72.42 to 75.21 DDD/TOPD) and antipsychotics (6.06-19.04 DDD/TOPD). In contrast, the utilisation of hypnotics and sedatives (53.74-38.90 DDD/TOPD) and anxiolytics decreased (10.20-9.87 DDD/TOPD). The utilisation of atypical antipsychotics increased (4.06-18.72 DDD/TOPD), with the highest percentage change in DDD/TOPD contributed by olanzapine (520.6 %). In comparison, utilisation of typical antipsychotics was relatively stable (2.00-2.06 DDD/TOPD). The utilisation of venlafaxine increased remarkably by 5.7 times between 2005 and 2019. The utilisation of zopiclone was far greater than that of other hypnotics in 2019.

CONCLUSIONS

There was only a marginal increase in psychotropic medicines utilisation from 2005 to 2019 in older adults in New Zealand. There was a five-fold increase in the utilisation of antipsychotic medicines. Continued monitoring of psychotropic medicine utilisation will be of interest to understand the utilisation of antidepressants and antipsychotic medicines during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic year.

Impact of initiating long-acting injectable antipsychotics on hospitalization in patients with bipolar I disorder

Aim: To compare risk of hospitalization in patients with bipolar I disorder (BD-I) initiating long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs). Materials & methods: Using Truven Health Analytics MarketScan® (Medicaid, Commercial and Medicare Supplemental) databases (2012–2016), patients (≥18 years) with BD-I with a LAI (aripiprazole once monthly [AOM 400], fluphenazine-LAI, haloperidol-LAI, risperidone-LAI and paliperidone-4-week-LAI) were identified. Results: The adjusted odds of having hospitalization were significantly higher in haloperidol-LAI (Odds ratio [95% CI]: 1.39 [1.03–1.87] all-cause; p = 0.029; 1.41 [1.03–1.93] psychiatric-specific; p = 0.032) and risperidone-LAI (1.54 [1.12–2.13]; p = 0.009; 1.68 [1.20–2.37]; p = 0.003) users versus AOM 400 users. Risks of hospitalization did not differ comparing fluphenazine-LAI and paliperidone-LAI users with AOM 400 users. Conclusion: AOM 400 may be more beneficial at reducing hospitalization rates in BD-I versus haloperidol-LAI and risperidone-LAI.