Prescription Access Crisis: GLP-1 RA Rx Unfilled Rate
Okay, here’s a breakdown of the key information from the provided text, focusing on the findings of the study regarding GLP-1 RA prescriptions:
1. Patient Demographics:
* Total Patients: 6094
* Mean Age: 60.9 years (SD 12.7)
* Gender: 53.7% women
* Race/Ethnicity:
* Non-Hispanic white: 72.3%
* Hispanic: 19.4%
* non-Hispanic Black: 5.8%
* Non-Hispanic Asian: 2.5%
* Total GLP-1 RA Orders: 9848
* Fill Rate: 60.1% (5915 orders filled)
2. Fill Rate Variations:
* Race/Ethnicity:
* Non-Hispanic White: 60.9%
* Non-Hispanic Black: 55.3%
* Hispanic: 58.4%
* Diagnosis:
* diabetes & Obesity: 64.6% (highest)
* Obesity Alone: 37.2% (lowest)
* Diabetes Alone: 47.5%
3. Out-of-Pocket (OOP) Costs (per filled prescription):
* Overall Mean: $71.90
* Insurance vs. No Insurance:
* With Insurance: $71.90
* Without Insurance: $900
* Race/Ethnicity:
* Non-Hispanic White: $78.37
* Non-Hispanic Black: $41.15 (lowest)
* Hispanic: $63.69
* Diagnosis:
* Diabetes & Obesity: $70.32
* Obesity Alone: $134.04 (highest)
4. Potential Contributing Factors (identified by study authors):
* Insurance coverage
* Use of different GLP-1 RA medications (exenatide, lixisenatide, liraglutide, dulaglutide, semaglutide – both injectable and oral)
* Patient cost thresholds
5. Key Conclusions/Recommendations:
* OOP costs were nearly twice as high for patients with obesity alone compared to those with diabetes.This is likely due to less comprehensive insurance coverage for obesity as an indication.
* The study data is limited to one health system and doesn’t account for reasons for non-adherence or cash payments.
* Policymakers should explore ways to improve equitable access to GLP-1 RAs.
Let me know if you’d like me to elaborate on any specific aspect of this information!