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Patient access to chronic medications during the Covid-19 pandemic: Evidence from a comprehensive dataset of US insurance claims

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  • Jeffrey Clement
  • Maura Jacobi
  • Brad N Greenwood

Abstract

Patient access and adherence to chronic medications is critical. In this work, we evaluate whether disruptions related to Covid-19 have affected new and existing patients’ access to pharmacological therapies without interruption. We do so by performing a retrospective analysis on a dataset of 9.4 billion US prescription drug claims from 252 million patients from May, 2019 through August, 2020 (about 93% of prescriptions dispensed within those months). Using fixed effect (conditional likelihood) linear models, we evaluate continuity of care, how many days of supply patients received, and the likelihood of discontinuing therapy for drugs from classes with significant population health impacts. Findings indicate that more prescriptions were filled in March 2020 than in any prior month, followed by a significant drop in monthly dispensing. Compared to the pre-Covid era, a patient’s likelihood of discontinuing some medications increased after the spread of Covid: norgestrel-ethinyl estradiol (hormonal contraceptive) discontinuation increased 0.62% (95% CI: 0.59% to 0.65%, p

Suggested Citation

  • Jeffrey Clement & Maura Jacobi & Brad N Greenwood, 2021. "Patient access to chronic medications during the Covid-19 pandemic: Evidence from a comprehensive dataset of US insurance claims," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(4), pages 1-13, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0249453
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249453
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    2. Di Novi, Cinzia & Leporatti, Lucia & Levaggi, Rosella & Montefiori, Marcello, 2022. "Adherence during COVID-19: The role of aging and socio-economics status in shaping drug utilization," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 1-14.
    3. Péter Elek & Anikó Bíró & Petra Fadgyas‐Freyler, 2021. "Income gradient of pharmaceutical panic buying at the outbreak of the COVID‐19 pandemic," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(9), pages 2312-2320, September.
    4. Cronin, Christopher J. & Evans, William N., 2022. "Nursing home quality, COVID-19 deaths, and excess mortality," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    5. Manuela Casula & Federica Galimberti & Marica Iommi & Elena Olmastroni & Simona Rosa & Mattia Altini & Alberico L. Catapano & Elena Tragni & Elisabetta Poluzzi, 2022. "Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Therapeutic Continuity among Outpatients with Chronic Cardiovascular Therapies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-11, September.
    6. Elena Olmastroni & Federica Galimberti & Elena Tragni & Alberico L. Catapano & Manuela Casula, 2023. "Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Adherence to Chronic Therapies: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-15, February.

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