Patterns of use and expenses associated with mail-service pharmacy in adults with diabetes

Did Access to Ambulatory Care Moderate the Associations Between Visit Mode and Ancillary Services Utilization Across the COVID-19 Pandemic Period?

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

In recent years, 2 circumstances changed provider-patient interactions in primary care: the substitution of virtual (eg, video) for in-person visits and the COVID-19 pandemic. We studied whether access to care might affect patient fulfillment of ancillary services orders for ambulatory diagnosis and management of incident neck or back pain (NBP) and incident urinary tract infection (UTI) for virtual versus in-person visits.

METHODS

Data were extracted from the electronic health records of 3 Kaiser Permanente Regions to identify incident NBP and UTI visits from January 2016 through June 2021. Visit modes were classified as virtual (Internet-mediated synchronous chats, telephone visits, or video visits) or in-person. Periods were classified as prepandemic [before the beginning of the national emergency (April 2020)] or recovery (after June 2020). Percentages of patient fulfillment of ancillary services orders were measured for 5 service classes each for NBP and UTI. Differences in percentages of fulfillments were compared between modes within periods and between periods within the mode to assess the possible impact of 3 moderators: distance from residence to primary care clinic, high deductible health plan (HDHP) enrollment, and prior use of a mail-order pharmacy program.

RESULTS

For diagnostic radiology, laboratory, and pharmacy services, percentages of fulfilled orders were generally >70-80%. Given an incident NBP or UTI visit, longer distance to the clinic and higher cost-sharing due to HDHP enrollment did not significantly suppress patients' fulfillment of ancillary services orders. Prior use of mail-order prescriptions significantly promoted medication order fulfillments on virtual NBP visits compared with in-person NBP visits in the prepandemic period (5.9% vs. 2.0%, P=0.01) and in the recovery period (5.2% vs. 1.6%, P=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Distance to the clinic or HDHP enrollment had minimal impact on the fulfillment of diagnostic or prescribed medication services associated with incident NBP or UTI visits delivered virtually or in-person; however, prior use of mail-order pharmacy option promoted fulfillment of prescribed medication orders associated with NBP visits.

Patient satisfaction and behavioural intention in using the home medication delivery service in an ambulatory oncology centre

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased usage of medication delivery service (MDS) significantly. MDS improves adherence to medication and clinical outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

To study behavioral change factors that affect adoption of MDS, determine existing patient satisfaction level, and make recommendations to improve MDS adoption.

METHODS

A single-institution, cross-sectional survey was conducted at the outpatient pharmacy of the largest ambulatory cancer centre in Singapore. The survey consisted of sections on demographics, Theory of Planned Behavior constructs and patient satisfaction questions. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were used.

RESULTS

A total of 881 patients responded. Respondents were mostly Chinese, female and subsidized patients, with a mean age of 62.4 years old. MDS use is strongly predicted by favourable attitude (OR 3.54, 95%CI 2.64-4.75; p < 0.001) and subjective norm (OR 3.07, 95%CI 2.30-4.09; p < 0.001) towards its use and greater perceived behavioral control (OR 2.48; 95%CI 1.86-3.30; p < 0.001). Being ill or frail has been identified as facilitators, while absence of face-to-face consultation and cost of delivery were barriers to the adoption of MDS. Encouragingly, the satisfaction level of our existing patients was generally high (80.2, SD16.7). Recommendation to improve MDS adoption targets facilitators and barriers identified and aims to further elevate patient satisfaction level. Establishment of a centralised pharmacy for MDS together with a call centre would be essential in the long run.

CONCLUSIONS

MDS is becoming increasingly important, in line with our national strategy. Implementation of suggested short-term and long-term measures will encourage its use.

Desires and Attitudes towards Telepharmacy Medicine Delivery

The COVID-19 pandemic has limited healthcare services for patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Hospital pharmacy departments in Thailand apply a new normal pharmacy service known as "telepharmacy" to serve remote pharmacy practice and deliver medication to patients. Current knowledge clearly shows the benefit of each medicine delivery method, but the study of patient's desires and attitudes towards all drug delivery methods is still limited. To fill the gap, this study aims to investigate desires and attitudes about drug delivery methods among Thai patients living with NCDs who need regular and continuous care. The sample was included by accidentally randomized technique at NCD clinics of the southern Thailand tertiary care hospital. Data were collected between January and March 2021 by a questionnaire that contained three sections: the currently received medicine delivery method, the desires and attitudes about the medicine delivery system, and patients' demographic information. The majority of patients were women aged 60 years who earned less than 10,000 THB (263.85 USD), were enrolled in the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme (CSMBS), lived 0-15 km from the hospital, living with hypertension, had 1-4 prescribed medications, visited the doctor every 3 months, and received the conventional drug delivery method. The result showed that only the subdistrict health promotion hospital (SHPH) medicine delivery method was at a high level of desire, while the rest including conventional, drug store, postal pharmacy, and drive-thru medicine delivery methods were at medium. Attitudes toward the quality of medicine delivery methods consisted of five dimensions: confidence, timeliness, reliability, empathy, and facilities. Thai NCD patients had positive attitudes toward SHPH and drug store medicine delivery methods that could be seen from the high level of attitude score across all dimensions, while postal pharmacy and drive-thru delivery methods received medium-level attitude scores across all five dimensions.

Trends in Mail-Order Pharmacy Use in the U.S. From 1996 to 2018: An Analysis of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey

INTRODUCTION

The use of mail-order pharmacies is generally associated with lower healthcare costs and improved medication adherence. To promote the use of mail-order pharmacies, it is important to understand the time trends in their use and whether these trends vary by population subgroups.

METHODS

This study used the 1996-2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to determine the annual prevalence of mail-order pharmacy use (defined as purchasing ≥1 prescription from a mail-order or online pharmacy) among U.S. adult prescription users and its variation by population characteristics. Logistic regression was used to determine the correlates of mail-order pharmacy use. Results were presented for medications and therapeutic classes most commonly purchased by mail-order pharmacy exclusive users. Analyses were conducted in December 2020.

RESULTS

The annual prevalence of mail-order pharmacy use among U.S. adult prescription users increased from 10.2% (95% CI=9.3, 11.1) in 1996 to 17.0% (95% CI=15.9, 18.1) in 2005 and then declined to 15.7% (95% CI=14.9, 16.6) by 2018. Absolute differences in the prevalence of use by race/ethnicity, education, and health insurance coverage widened over time, whereas they remained stable when stratifying by sex, age, marital status, region, limitations in daily activities, pain interference, health status, number of chronic conditions, and access to medical care. Among mail-order pharmacy exclusive users, the 3 most commonly purchased medications were atorvastatin (16.7%), levothyroxine (13.6%), and lisinopril (13.1%); the 3 most commonly purchased therapeutic classes were cardiovascular agents (57.9%), metabolic agents (52.1%), and central nervous system agents (29.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of mail-order pharmacy use has declined in recent years and has shown significant variation across population subgroups. Future research should examine whether the declining trends and variation in use may influence the management of chronic conditions and the disparities in health and healthcare costs.

Trends in Mail-Order Prescription Use among U.S. Adults from 1996 to 2018: A Nationally Representative Repeated Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Mail-order prescriptions are popular in the U.S., but the recent mail delays due to operational changes at the United States Postal Services (USPS) may postpone the delivery of vital medications. Despite growing recognition of the health and economic effects of a postal crisis on mail-order pharmacy consumers, little is known about the extent of mail-order prescription use, and most importantly, the population groups and types of medications that will likely be most affected by these postal delays.

METHODS

The prevalence of mail-order prescription use was assessed using a nationally representative repeated cross-sectional survey (the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey) carried out among adults aged 18 and older in each year from 1996 to 2018. We stratified use of mail-order prescription by socio-demographic and health characteristics. Additionally, we calculated which prescription medications were most prevalent among all mailed medications, and for which medications users were most likely to opt for mail-order prescription.

FINDINGS

500,217 adults participated in the survey. Between 1996 and 2018, the prevalence of using at least one mail-order prescription in a year among U.S. adults was 9.8% (95% CI, 9.5%-10.0%). Each user purchased a mean of 19.4 (95% CI, 19.0-19.8) mail-order prescriptions annually. The prevalence of use increased from 6.9% (95% CI, 6.4%-7.5%) in 1996 to 10.3% (95% CI, 9.7%-10.9%) in 2018, and the mean annual number of mail-order prescriptions per user increased from 10.7 (95% CI, 9.8-11.7) to 20.5 (95% CI, 19.3-21.7) over the same period. Use of mail-order prescription in 2018 was common among adults aged 65 and older (23.9% [95% CI, 22.3%-25.4%]), non-Hispanic whites (13.6% [95% CI, 12.8%-14.5%]), married adults (12.7% [95% CI, 11.8%-13.6%]), college graduates (12.2% [95% CI, 11.3%-13.1%]), high-income adults (12.6%, [95% CI, 11.6%-13.6%]), disabled adults (19.3% [95% CI, 17.9%-20.7%]), adults with poor health status (15.6% [95% CI, 11.6%-19.6%]), adults with three or more chronic conditions (24.2% [95% CI, 22.2%-26.2%]), Medicare beneficiaries (22.8% [95% CI, 21.4%-24.3%]), and military-insured adults (13.9% [95% CI, 10.8%-17.1%]). Mail-order prescriptions were commonly filled for analgesics, levothyroxine, cardiovascular agents, antibiotics, and diabetes medications.

INTERPRETATION

The use of mail-order prescription, including for critical medications such as insulin, is increasingly common among U.S. adults and displays substantial variation between population groups. A national slowdown of mail delivery could have important health consequences for a considerable proportion of the U.S. population, particularly during the current Coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic.

Data-driven modeling of diabetes care teams using social network analysis

OBJECTIVE

We assess working relationships and collaborations within and between diabetes health care provider teams using social network analysis and a multi-scale community detection.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrospective analysis of claims data from a large employer over 2 years was performed. The study cohort contained 827 patients diagnosed with diabetes. The cohort received care from 2567 and 2541 health care providers in the first and second year, respectively. Social network analysis was used to identify networks of health care providers involved in the care of patients with diabetes. A multi-scale community detection was applied to the network to identify groups of health care providers more densely connected. Social network analysis metrics identified influential providers for the overall network and for each community of providers.

RESULTS

Centrality measures identified medical laboratories and mail-order pharmacies as the central providers for the 2 years. Seventy-six percent of the detected communities included primary care physicians, and 97% of the communities included specialists. Pharmacists were detected as central providers in 24% of the communities.

DISCUSSION

Social network analysis measures identified the central providers in the network of diabetes health care providers. These providers could be considered as influencers in the network that could enhance the implication of promotion programs through their access to a large number of patients and providers.

CONCLUSION

The proposed framework provides multi-scale metrics for assessing care team relationships. These metrics can be used by implementation experts to identify influential providers for care interventions and by health service researchers to determine impact of team relationships on patient outcomes.

Characteristics of Mail-Order Pharmacy Users: Results From the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey

BACKGROUND

There is a paucity of research on the population characteristics of mail-order pharmacy users.

OBJECTIVE

This study utilized a nationally representative sample to examine the characteristics of mail-order pharmacy users.

METHODS

This study used data from the 2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). The outcome variable was defined as whether the participant had used a mail-order pharmacy during the study year. Logistic regression was conducted to determine the factors which influence mail-order pharmacy use. All analyses incorporated MEPS sampling weights to adjust for the complex survey design.

RESULTS

Among the 14,106 adults included, approximately 18% of them had used a mail-order pharmacy at least once to fill their prescription in 2012. Compared to community pharmacy users, mail-order pharmacy users were more likely to be white, older, married, have a higher family income, a higher educational level, have health insurance, and have a prescription with at least a 30-day supply. There is no difference in gender or urban/rural disparity. In addition, mail-order pharmacy users had a lower percentage of out-of-pocket costs.

CONCLUSION

Mail-order pharmacy use was significantly associated with certain patient characteristics. Policymakers should consider these characteristics when promoting mail-order pharmacy use.

Consumers' characteristics associated with the use of mail pharmacy services in the United States: Findings from the 2015 National Consumer Survey on the Medication Experience

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to describe current users of mail pharmacy services and to evaluate factors associated with the use of mail pharmacy services.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional online survey-based study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

The data were obtained from the 2015 National Consumer Survey on the Medication Experience, which included 26,173 adults from throughout the United States.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Mail pharmacy utilization was based on participant self-report. Demographic variables included age, education, race, gender, insurance status, distance to nearest pharmacy, number of disease states, and income. Chi-square and t test analyses were conducted to assess the factors associated with mail pharmacy use. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to compute the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals for the predictors of mail pharmacy usage.

RESULTS

Overall, 17% of respondents reported the use of mail pharmacy services. Based on chi-square analysis, use of mail pharmacy services was significantly associated with age, education, race, and region. In addition, distance to nearest pharmacy and the report of the presence of certain disease states were significantly associated with mail pharmacy use (P <0.001). Based on the results of logistic regression analysis, there was a significant association of mail pharmacy use by age, having chronic diseases, level of education, distance to nearest pharmacy, and other included variables (P <0.05).

CONCLUSION

Mail pharmacy service users accounted for 17% of the respondents of this study. Advancing age, presence of chronic diseases, increasing level of education, and increasing distance to the nearest pharmacy were positively associated with the use of mail pharmacies. Further research is needed to better understand patient-specific reasons for choosing mail pharmacies or community pharmacies.