Medication Persistence Research Articles

The CNIC-Polypill reduces recurrent major cardiovascular events in real-life secondary prevention patients in Spain: The NEPTUNO study

BackgroundTo evaluate the effectiveness of a cardiovascular polypill including aspirin, ramipril and atorvastatin (CNIC-Polypill), on the incidence of recurrent major cardiovascular events (MACE) and risk factor control in patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) vs different pharmacological therapeutic strategies. MethodsRetrospective, observational study using data from electronic-health records. Patients were distributed into 4 different cohorts: CNIC-Polypill (case cohort) vs 3 control cohorts: same monocomponents taken separately (Monocomponents), equipotent drugs (Equipotent) and other drugs not included in the previous cohorts (Other therapies). Patients were followed for 2 years or until MACE or death. ResultsAfter propensity score matching, a total of 6456 patients (1614 patients per cohort) were analysed. After 2 years, the risk of recurrent MACE was lower in the CNIC-Polypill cohort compared to the control groups (22%; p = 0.017, 25%; p = 0.002, 27%; p = 0.001, higher in the Monocomponents, Equipotent and Other therapies cohorts, respectively). The incremental proportion of patients who achieved blood pressure (BP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc) control from baseline was higher in the CNIC-Polypill cohort vs control cohorts (BP controlled patients: +12.5% vs + 6.3%; p < 0.05, +2.2%; p < 0.01, +2.4%; p < 0.01, LDLc controlled patients: +10.3% vs + 4.9%; p < 0.001, +5.7%; p < 0.001, +4.9%; p < 0.001, respectively). Medication persistence was higher in patients treated with the CNIC-Polypill (72.1% vs 62.2%, 60.0% and 54.2%, respectively; p < 0.001) at study end. ConclusionsIn secondary prevention patients, compared with control groups, treatment with the CNIC-Polypill was associated with significant reductions in the accumulated incidence of recurrent MACE, improved BP and LDLc control rates, and increased medication persistence.

A real-world study of acute and preventive medication use, adherence, and persistence in patients prescribed fremanezumab in the United States

BackgroundFollowing approval of fremanezumab for the prevention of migraine in adults, health care decision makers are interested in understanding real-world clinical characteristics and treatment patterns among patients initiating fremanezumab therapy.MethodsData were obtained for this retrospective (pre-post) study from the Veradigm Health Insights database. The study period was January 1, 2014, to June 30, 2019. Patients were included if they were aged ≥ 18 years; had ≥ 1 migraine diagnosis during the study period; and had a medication record for fremanezumab on or after diagnosis during the identification period (September 1, 2018–December 31, 2018). Treatment patterns, including adherence, persistence, and utilization of acute and preventive migraine medication prescriptions, were evaluated.ResultsOf 987 patients initiating fremanezumab during the study period, 738 (74.8%) were adherent to fremanezumab by proportion of days covered (PDC; ≥ 80%) and 780 (79.0%) were adherent by medication possession ratio (MPR; ≥ 80%). A total of 746 (75.6%) patients were persistent for ≥ 6 months. Quarterly fremanezumab (n = 186) was associated with higher rates of adherence versus monthly fremanezumab (n = 801) by PDC (quarterly, 91.3%; monthly, 84.9%; P < 0.001) and MPR (quarterly, 92.2%; monthly, 87.9%; P = 0.006) and higher persistence at ≥ 6 months (quarterly, 82.8%; monthly, 73.9%; P = 0.011). After fremanezumab initiation, patients who were persistent for ≥ 6 months experienced significant reductions from baseline in the mean monthly number of acute and preventive migraine medication prescriptions (P < 0.001). Subgroup analyses in patients with comorbid depression and anxiety showed meaningful real-world benefits based on significant reductions in the number of patients who were prescribed antidepressants (baseline, 68.6%; follow-up, 56.4%; P = 0.0025) and anxiolytic medications (baseline, 55.0%; follow-up, 47.2%; P = 0.037), respectively. In a subgroup of patients with comorbid hypertension at baseline, fremanezumab treatment resulted in nonsignificant reductions in blood pressure.ConclusionsOverall, adherence and persistence to fremanezumab in this real-world study was high in patients with migraine, with higher rates observed for quarterly fremanezumab. Patients who were persistent for ≥ 6 months experienced significant reductions in acute and preventive migraine medication use, while a subgroup of migraine patients with comorbid depression and anxiety at baseline showed significant reductions in antidepressant and anxiolytic medication use.

MP07-11 REAL WORLD MEDICATION PERSISTENCE IN TREATMENT OF WOMEN WITH OVERACTIVE BLADDER ACCORDING TO LARGE SCALE PRESCRIPTION CLAIMS DATA

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 May 2022MP07-11 REAL WORLD MEDICATION PERSISTENCE IN TREATMENT OF WOMEN WITH OVERACTIVE BLADDER ACCORDING TO LARGE SCALE PRESCRIPTION CLAIMS DATA Chen Shenhar, Karin Lifshitz, Igor Mintz, Yariv Shtabholtz, Ofer Yossepowitch, Jack Baniel, and Shachar Aharony Chen ShenharChen Shenhar More articles by this author , Karin LifshitzKarin Lifshitz More articles by this author , Igor MintzIgor Mintz More articles by this author , Yariv ShtabholtzYariv Shtabholtz More articles by this author , Ofer YossepowitchOfer Yossepowitch More articles by this author , Jack BanielJack Baniel More articles by this author , and Shachar AharonyShachar Aharony More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000002529.11AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Medical treatments for overactive bladder (OAB) have proven efficacy in controlled trials. However, 1-year medication persistence is reported to be as low as 25% for anticholinergics and 40% for β3 agonists. Real world data on treatment continuation and sequence in case of medication replacement is limited. Our aim was to study actual treatment persistence trends in women initiated on OAB medications. METHODS: We used advanced data-mining techniques to explore the largest regional provider’s medication purchase database, dispensing for over 400,000 patients, for all women initiating OAB pharmacotherapy between 2010 and 2020, and cross-referenced them with patient age, BMI, and smoking status. Medication persistence was measured in days for which the patient was issued a medication, and prescription non-refilling for 90 days was defined as non-persistence. We employed a Sankey diagram to map trends in OAB medication claims and treatment sequence. We further compared medication persistence using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and pairwise log-rank analysis. We studied the effects of age and smoking status on medication continuation using logistic regression modelling. RESULTS: Between 2010 and 2020, 46,079 women made 791,681 unique acquisitions of OAB medications. Overall treatment persistence rates were 49% for 30 days, 34% for 90 days, and 9% for a year. The 1-year persistence rate was highest for Mirabegron (10%) and Oxybutynin (11%) compared with all other medications (4%) (p<0.005). Overall persistence rates were unchanged when stratifying by time of Mirabegron acceptance into insurance coverage (p>0.05). Patients persisting with treatment for over 90 days were 5 years older compared to their non-persisting counterparts (mean age 72.8±14.3 vs. 67.5±16.5 years, p<0.05). Non-smokers had an odds ratio of 1.1 [95% CI: 1.04-1.16] of persistence when compared to smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Real-world OAB pharmacotherapy persistence rates are lower than previously reported. The added option of Mirabegron did not seem to improve these rates. Source of Funding: none © 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 207Issue Supplement 5May 2022Page: e119 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Chen Shenhar More articles by this author Karin Lifshitz More articles by this author Igor Mintz More articles by this author Yariv Shtabholtz More articles by this author Ofer Yossepowitch More articles by this author Jack Baniel More articles by this author Shachar Aharony More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF DownloadLoading ...

Applying mixture cure survival modeling to medication persistence analysis.

Standard survival models are often used in a medication persistence analysis. These methods implicitly assume that all patients will experience the event (medication discontinuation), which may bias the estimation of persistence if long-term medication persistent patients rate is expected in the population. We aimed to introduce a mixture cure model in the medication persistence analysis to describe the characteristics of long-term and short-term persistent patients, and demonstrate its application using a real-world data analysis. A cohort of new users of statins was used to demonstrate the differences between the standard survival model and the mixture cure model in the medication persistence analysis. The mixture cure model estimated effects of variables, reported as odds ratios (OR) associated with likelihood of being long-term persistent and effects of variables, reported as hazard ratios (HR) associated with time to medication discontinuation among short-term persistent patients. Long-term persistent rate was estimated as 17% for statin users aged between 45 and 55 versus 10% for age less than 45 versus 4% for age greater than 55 via the mixture cure model. The HR of covariates estimated by the standard survival model (HR=1.41, 95% CI=[1.35, 1.48]) were higher than those estimated by the mixture cure model (HR=1.32, 95% CI=[1.25, 1.39]) when comparing patients with age greater than 55 to those between 45 and 55. Compared with standard survival modeling, a mixture cure model can improve the estimation of medication persistence when long-term persistent patients are expected in the population.

Conventional Synthetic Disease-Modifying Anti-rheumatic Drugs for Psoriatic Arthritis: Findings and Implications From a Patient Centered Longitudinal Study in Brazil.

Background: Conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are the first-line treatment to inhibit the progression of psoriatic arthritis. Despite their widespread clinical use, few studies have been conducted to compare these drugs for psoriatic arthritis. Methods: a longitudinal study was carried out based on a centered patient national database in Brazil. Market share of drugs, medication persistence, drug costs, and cost per response were evaluated. Results: a total of 1,999 individuals with psoriatic arthritis were included. Methotrexate was the most used drug (44.4%), followed by leflunomide (40.6%), ciclosporin (8.2%), and sulfasalazine (6.8%). Methotrexate and leflunomide had a greater market share than ciclosporin and sulfasalazine over years. Medication persistence was higher for leflunomide (58.9 and 28.2%), followed by methotrexate (51.6 and 25.4%) at six and 12 months, respectively. Leflunomide was deemed the most expensive drug, with an average annual cost of $317.25, followed by sulfasalazine ($106.47), ciclosporin ($97.64), and methotrexate ($40.23). Methotrexate was the drug being the lowest cost per response. Conclusion: Methotrexate had the best cost per response ratio, owing to its lower cost and a slightly lower proportion of persistent patients when compared to leflunomide. Leflunomide had a slightly higher medication persistence than methotrexate, but it was the most expensive drug.

Medication Persistence to Lipid-lowering Agents As A Cost-saving Opportunities on Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Indonesia

Medication persistence is known to reduce acute coronary syndrome (ACS) disease mortality. As much as 13% of Indonesia's budget on national health insurance programs was used for cardiovascular disease. The number of population-based studies discussing the cost-saving opportunities of medication persistence in ACS patients undergoing percutaneous coronary syndrome (PCI) is still minimal. This study aimed to investigate the estimated cost saving of persistence to lipid-lowering agents in patients with ACS after their first PCI. Hospital-based, retrospective cohort study with 2 years of follow-up was conducted with 367 patients. Patients were deemed as having medication persistence if the gap between prescriptions was ≤ 30 days. Persistence assessment was done for lipid-modifying agents (WHO ATC Code: C10). The main outcome is cost-saving opportunities assessed by dividing the difference in total costs resulting from medication persistence with the difference in the proportion of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) prevented by medication persistence. The study found that direct medical costs incurred by persistent patients were significantly lower than non-persistent patients with lipid-lowering agents (IDR 9,535,209.76 versus IDR 15,933,959.28). Persistence to lipid-lowering therapy can prevent one MACE incident with cost-saving of IDR 996,192.41 when compared to non-persistence patients, while one MACCE incident can be prevented with cost-saving of IDR 733,103.02. Our study indicates that among ACS patients who underwent their first PCI, medication persistence with lipid-lowering agents can contribute to cost-saving in preventing one MACE or MACCE event. These data will be useful for policymakers to help budget allocation and reemphasize the important role of medication persistence with lipid-lowering therapy in the management of ACS after PCI.

Potential for Drug Interactions and Polypharmacy From Treatment of COVID-19 in Long-Term Care

Potential for Drug Interactions and Polypharmacy From Treatment of COVID-19 in Long-Term Care

Prescription Market Share and Treatment Patterns in Atopic Dermatitis: A Retrospective Observational Study Using US Insurance Claims.

IntroductionThere is limited real-world evidence on the treatments for atopic dermatitis (AD) since dupilumab was approved in 2017. The objective of this study was to assess market share of drugs commonly prescribed for the treatment of AD and describe treatment patterns in patients diagnosed with AD.MethodsThis was a retrospective, observational study in adult patients with an ICD-10 diagnosis of AD between 2017 and 2019 using insurance claims data in the US population.ResultsMarket share cohorts consisted of 75,794 (2017) and 89,618 (2018) patients. Treatment patterns cohort had 68,588 patients with 63.56% female, mean (SD) age 43.54 (15.96) years, and mean (SD) Quan CCI 0.31 (0.85). Topicals had two-thirds market share by prescription volume (2017 = 65.56%; 2018 = 63.63%). Corticosteroids were the most prescribed topical (2017 = 71.94%; 2018 = 72.04%) and systemic (2017 = 30.59%; 2018 = 30.23%) drug class. Dupilumab had the highest medication adherence (proportion of days covered [PDC] ≥ 80%; 60.74%) and persistence (17.39%), lowest discontinuation rate (23.32%), and longest mean (SD) days on therapy 148.20 (101.77).ConclusionTopicals are the primary treatment for patients with AD, even though systemic users have higher medication adherence (PDC). Systemics provide a treatment alternative to topicals.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12325-022-02071-y.

Greater Adherence and Persistence with Injectable Dulaglutide Compared with Injectable Semaglutide at 1-Year Follow-up: Data from US Clinical Practice

PurposeGreater medication adherence and persistence have been associated with improved glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study compared adherence, persistence, and treatment patterns among patients naïve to glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists initiating once-weekly injectable treatment with dulaglutide versus semaglutide over 6-month (6M) and 12-month (12M) follow-up periods. MethodsThis retrospective, observational cohort study used administrative claims data from three IBM MarketScan research databases. Data from adult patients with type 2 diabetes newly initiating treatment with dulaglutide or semaglutide between January 2018 and January 2020 (index date was defined as the earliest fill date), without evidence of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist use in the 6M baseline period, and with continuous enrollment in the 6M baseline and 6M or 12M follow-up period were included. Dulaglutide initiators were propensity score–matched, in a 1:1 ratio, to semaglutide initiators in each 6M and 12M follow-up cohort (26,284 and 13,837 pairs, respectively). FindingsIn the matched cohorts, baseline characteristics were balanced; the mean age was 53 years, and 50% of patients were women. Compared to semaglutide initiators, dulaglutide initiators were more adherent (6M, 63.4% vs 47.8%; 12M, 54.4% vs 43.3%; both, P < 0.0001), more persistent on therapy (6M, 72% vs 62%, 12M, 55.5% vs 45.3%, both, P < 0.001), and had more mean days of persistence (6M, 145 vs 132, 12M, 254.3 vs 220.7; both, P < 0.001). ImplicationsAt both 6M and 12M follow-up, dulaglutide initiators had significantly greater adherence and greater persistence compared with matched semaglutide initiators.

Antihypertensive medication adherence and persistence among Black women: A qualitative study.

The prevalence of hypertension in Black women (57.6%) is among the highest in the world. Many of those who identify as Black do not readily adhere to prescribed antihypertensive medications nor persist with long-term therapy. This qualitative study describes self-reported approaches used by Black women with consistent adherence and persistence to medication-taking for BP control.

Factors Associated with Hepatitis B Medication Adherence and Persistence among Underserved Chinese and Vietnamese Americans.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection disproportionately affects Asian Americans in the United States, while this population faces low adherence to HBV treatment. Using the information–motivation–behavioral skills model (IMB), the study aims to examine medication adherence and persistence among Chinese and Vietnamese people with HBV. Methodology: Study participants were recruited between March 2019 and March 2020 and were enrolled through multiple recruitment approaches in the Greater Philadelphia Area and New York City. The study is an assessment of the baseline data on medication adherence, HBV-related knowledge, motivation of HBV medication treatment, self-efficacy about HBV medication treatment, and socioeconomic status. Results: Among 165 participants, 77.6% were Chinese and 22.4% were Vietnamese Americans. HBV-related knowledge/information, motivation, and self-efficacy were all positively associated with having medium/high medication adherence. Multilevel mixed-effects generalized linear regression revealed that living more than 10 years in the U.S. (OR = 4.24; p = 0.028) and greater information–knowledge about HBV (OR = 1.46; p = 0.004) were statistically associated with higher odds of medium/high medication adherence. Moreover, greater HBV-related knowledge/information (OR = 1.49; p = 0.023) and greater motivation towards HBV treatment adherence (OR = 1.10; p = 0.036) were both associated with a higher likelihood of medication persistence. Conclusion: Our findings provided significant implications in designing behavioral interventions focused on self-efficacy, information, and motivation to promote better medication adherence among Asian Americans living with HBV.

Adherence to and Persistence with Disease-Modifying Therapies for Multiple Sclerosis Over 24Months: A Retrospective Claims Analysis.

IntroductionWe sought to assess adherence to and persistence with ocrelizumab (OCR) compared with other disease-modifying treatments (DMTs), by route of administration (RoA), for multiple sclerosis (MS) after 24 months in the United States.MethodsThis retrospective claims analysis of MS patients initiating a new DMT was conducted using the IBM MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases between April 2016 and December 2019. Continuous enrollment of ≥ 12 months before and up to 24 months after initiating the index DMT was required. Adherence was assessed based on proportion of days covered (PDC) in the follow-up period with values ≥ 80% considered adherent. Persistence was defined as no evidence of switching to another DMT or no gap ≥ 60 days in DMT coverage.ResultsA total of 1710 patients with ≥ 24 months of follow-up (OCR, n = 524; oral, n = 701; injectable, n = 365; other intravenous [IV], n = 120) were included. Patients initiating OCR had higher adherence (80% vs. 55%, 35%, and 54% for oral, injectable, and other IV, respectively) and persistence (75% vs. 54%, 33%, and 55%, respectively) at 24 months. Relative risks (RRs) of 24-month non-adherence for those initiating orals, injectables, and other IVs were 2.2 (95% CI, 1.7–2.9), 3.0 (95% CI, 2.2–4.0), and 2.2 (95% CI, 1.5–3.3), respectively, compared to those initiating OCR. Similarly, patients receiving orals, injectables, and other IVs had RR of 1.9 (95% CI, 1.4–2.4), 2.5 (95% CI, 1.9–3.4), and 1.8 (95% CI, 1.2–2.6) for 24-month discontinuation, respectively. Similar patterns were observed at 12 and 18 months.ConclusionsPatients initiating OCR in a real-world setting achieved higher rates of adherence and persistence at 24 months compared with those initiating other DMTs, consistent with published literature showing similar results at 12 and 18 months. Optimizing medication adherence and persistence is fundamental to MS care, so clinicians should consider all elements of DMTs that may improve compliance.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40120-021-00319-3.

Association between P1NP and bone strength in postmenopausal women treated with teriparatide

ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between P1NP and bone strength in postmenopausal women treated with teriparatide. Materials and MethodsThis prospective study enrolled 248 postmenopausal women with severe osteoporosis treated with teriparatide. Procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide (P1NP) were assessed at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. Lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and total hip (TH) bone mineral density (BMD) and LS trabecular bone score (TBS) were measured by Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at baseline and 12 months. ResultsWith teriparatide use, P1NP levels increase and peaked at 6 months. Significant increase in LS and hip BMD and LS TBS were also noted. The percentage change or absolute change >10 μg/L in PINP at 3 months was only related to changes in LS BMD at 12 months. With a median baseline P1NP level was 65.5 ng/mL, we found no correlation between P1NP and LS and hip BMD nor LS TBS. There was no association between LS TBS and axial BMD. After treatment, there was also no significance between the changes in TBS and axial BMD. Over the study period, 83.9% of the 248 participants were persistent with teriparatide at 3 months, 77.8% at 6 months, and 67.3% women at 12 months. ConclusionP1NP levels may provide a signal of osteoporosis risk but is not related to bone strength. Early changes in P1NP may offer information regarding subsequent BMD response so standardized monitoring of P1NP levels at baseline and at 3 months should be considered during osteoporosis therapy. As an additional benefit, serum level monitoring during treatment may also improve medication persistence.

Protective effect of bisphosphonate on the cortical bone at key locations of the femur in aromatase inhibitor-associated bone loss: A three-dimensional cortical bone mapping study

Aromatase inhibitor treatment in breast cancer is associated with accelerated bone loss and an increased risk of fracture. Bisphosphonates (BPs) are the mainstay treatment of aromatase inhibitor-associated bone loss (AIBL), which might improve femoral bone at key locations prone to fracture. To test this hypothesis, we performed three-dimensional cortical bone mapping based on quantitative computed tomography (QCT) scans in postmenopausal women with early breast cancer who were receiving aromatase inhibitors. Data of subjects who had both baseline and at least one follow-up QCT at Severance Hospital (South Korea) between 2005 and 2015 were analyzed (BP users, n = 93; BP non-users, n = 203). After exclusion of BP users with low medication persistence (proportion of days covered: <50%), BP users and non-users were 1:1 matched (n = 54 for each group) in terms of age, lumbar spine volumetric bone mineral density (LSvBMD), femoral neck areal BMD (FNaBMD), and total hip areal BMD (THaBMD). During a median follow-up of 2.1 years, BP use attenuated bone loss in LSvBMD (+7.2% vs. −3.8%, p < 0.001), FNaBMD (+1.3% vs. −2.7%, p < 0.001), and THaBMD (-0.3% vs. −2.5%, p = 0.024). BP had a protective effect on cortical parameters of femoral bone: estimated cortical thickness (CTh) (+3.3% vs. + 0.1%, p = 0.007) and cortical mass surface density (CMSD, cortical mass per unit surface area was calculated by multiplying cortical BMD with CTh) (+3.4% vs. −0.3%, p < 0.001). CMSD increased by up to 15% at key locations such as the superior part of the femoral neck and greater trochanter. BP prevented the thinning of average CTh of the femoral neck (-1.4% vs. −6.1%, p < 0.001), particularly at the superior anterior quadrant of femoral neck (absolute difference: +12.8% point vs. non-users). Compared to BP non-users, BP users had improved cross-sectional moment of inertia (+4.4% vs. −0.7%, p = 0.001) and less increase in buckling ratio (+1.3% vs. + 7.5%, p < 0.001). In summary, BP use prevented cortical bone deficits observed in AIBL at key locations of the proximal femur.

Real-world adherence and persistence with anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Several anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of metastatic ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Effective disease management requires an understanding of how these treatments are used in clinical practice, since low treatment adherence and/or early discontinuation have been associated with poor patient outcomes. Owing to the recency of approvals, real-world data on the use of ALK inhibitors in patients with ALKpositive NSCLC are currently limited; this represents a notable gap in our understanding of ALK treatment use. OBJECTIVE: To assess real-world adherence and persistence with ALK inhibitors in patients with ALK-positive NSCLC. METHODS: This retrospective observational study used US commercial claims for patients aged at least 18 years with lung cancer receiving ALK inhibitors (alectinib, brigatinib, ceritinib, crizotinib) between July 1, 2015, and December 31, 2018. Patients' first and any subsequent ALK inhibitor uses were categorized into ALK inhibitor-naive and ALK inhibitor-pretreated cohorts, respectively. Adherence was measured by medication possession ratio and persistence by time from treatment initiation to discontinuation (earliest of a treatment switch or greater than a 60-day gap). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize patient characteristics. Cohort comparisons were made using chi-square tests and t-tests. Persistence and time to next ALK inhibitor were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier methods and the log-rank test. Poisson and Cox regression models of adherence and persistence, respectively, were applied to compare ALK inhibitors. RESULTS: We identified 1,482 patients treated with alectinib (n = 445) or crizotinib (n = 1,037) in the ALK inhibitor-naive cohort; 604, 142, and 134 patients received alectinib, brigatinib, or ceritinib in the ALK inhibitor-pretreated cohort. Adherence during the treatment period (95%-97%) and the proportion of patients with a medication possession ratio of at least 0.8 (92%-95%) were similar for all ALK inhibitors. In the ALK inhibitor-naive cohort, median time to treatment discontinuation with alectinib and crizotinib was 27.1 and 8.8 months, respectively; patients receiving alectinib were 46% less likely to discontinue than patients receiving crizotinib (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] [95% CI]: 0.54 [0.44-0.65]; P < 0.0001). In the ALK inhibitor-pretreated cohort, the discontinuation risk for alectinib was 64% lower than for ceritinib (aHR [95% CI]: 0.36 [0.27-0.49]; P < 0.0001) and 34% lower than for brigatinib (aHR [95% CI]: 0.66 [0.42-1.02]; P = 0.062). CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this study is the first to address a current research gap by assessing real-world adherence and persistence with ALK inhibitors among patients with ALK-positive NSCLC in real-world clinical practice. Alectinib was associated with longer real-world persistence than other ALK inhibitors, despite similar adherence. Further research with more patients and longer follow-up is needed to link persistence to real-world clinical outcomes. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by Genentech Inc. Ganti has received research support from Takeda and has provided consulting services to Genentech Inc., AstraZeneca, Flagship Biosciences, Cardinal Health, BioGene, Mirati Therapeutics, Blueprint Medicines, and G1 Therapeutics. Lin, Wong, and Ogale are employees of Genentech Inc. and may own stock in F. Hoffmann-La Roche. Yang was employed by Genentech Inc. at the time of this study. Part of the study findings were presented as a poster at the NCCN 2020 Virtual Annual Conference, April 9, 2020.

Sources of hospital-level variation in functional outcome after acute ischemic stroke: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Functional recovery is an important clinical outcome for patients with stroke. Hospital-level variation occurs in functional outcome after stroke. However, the extent to which patient characteristics, hospital characteristics, process of care, and medication persistence contribute to the hospital variation in poor functional outcome after ischemic stroke is unknown in China. We retrospectively analyzed patients enrolled in the Third China National Stroke Registry from 2015 to 2018. The outcome was poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale score of 3-6) at 3 months and 1 year. We used the median odds ratio to quantify the hospital-level variation in rates of poor functional outcome. A series of hierarchical logistic models were constructed to assess the extent to which patient characteristics, hospital characteristics, process of care, and medication persistence contributed to the hospital variation. A total of 13,218 patients with acute ischemic stroke from 159 hospitals were included. The risk-adjusted rates of the poor functional outcome at 3 months and 1 year after ischemic stroke varied across hospitals, ranging from 6.0% to 26.0% and 6.8% to 24.0%, respectively. The median odds ratio was 1.78 at 3 months and 1.67 at 1 year. Hierarchical logistic models indicated that the patient characteristics, hospital characteristics, process of care, and the medication persistence explained 27.5%, 7.0%, 6.5%, and 5.0% of the variation at 1 year. Altogether, 36.8% and 46.1% of the hospital variation in 3-month and 1-year poor functional outcome, respectively, was explained. There was a wide variation in rates of functional outcomes across hospitals. Approximately half of the variation at 1 year can be explained by patient characteristics, hospital characteristics, process of care, and medication persistence. Approximately 11.5% of the variation can be modified through improvements in the process of care and medication persistence. More studies are needed to explore the contribution of post-discharge care in the future.

Improvement of osteoporosis Care Organized by Nurses: ICON study - Protocol of a quasi-experimental study to assess the (cost)-effectiveness of combining a decision aid with motivational interviewing for improving medication persistence in patients with a recent fracture being treated at the fracture liaison service

BackgroundGiven the health and economic burden of fractures related to osteoporosis, suboptimal adherence to medication and the increasing importance of shared-decision making, the Improvement of osteoporosis Care Organized by Nurses (ICON) study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and feasibility of a multi-component adherence intervention (MCAI) for patients with an indication for treatment with anti–osteoporosis medication, following assessment at the Fracture Liaison Service after a recent fracture. The MCAI involves two consultations at the FLS. During the first consultation, a decision aid is will be used to involve patients in the decision of whether to start anti-osteoporosis medication. During the follow-up visit, the nurse inquires about, and stimulates, medication adherence using motivational interviewing techniques.MethodsA quasi-experimental trial to evaluate the (cost-) effectiveness and feasibility of an MCAI, consisting of a decision aid (DA) at the first visit, combined with nurse-led adherence support using motivational interviewing during the follow-up visit, in comparison with care as usual, in improving adherence to oral anti-osteoporosis medication for patients with a recent fracture two Dutch FLS. Medication persistence, defined as the proportion of patients who are persistent at one year assuming a refill gap < 30 days, is the primary outcome. Medication adherence, decision quality, subsequent fractures and mortality are the secondary outcomes. A lifetime cost-effectiveness analysis using a model-based economic evaluation and a process evaluation will also be conducted. A sample size of 248 patients is required to show an improvement in the primary outcome with 20%. Study follow-up is at 12 months, with measurements at baseline, after four months, and at 12 months.DiscussionWe expect that the ICON-study will show that the MCAI is a (cost-)effective intervention for improving persistence with anti-osteoporosis medication and that it is feasible for implementation at the FLS.Trial registrationThis trial has been registered in the Netherlands Trial Registry, part of the Dutch Cochrane Centre (Trial NL7236 (NTR7435)).Version 1.0; 26-11-2020.

Mirabegron has longer treatment persistence than antimuscarinics:Real-world data from a Korean national cohort database.

To descriptively evaluate treatment persistence among adults who received mirabegron or antimuscarinics in South Korea. This study involved a retrospective analysis of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment (HIRA) database. Patients (≥18 years) who had a new prescription for an overactive bladder (OAB) target medication (mirabegron/antimuscarinic) within an 8-month index period (July 1, 2015-February 29, 2016) were included. The date when the target (index) medication was dispensed was the index date. The 6-month period before the index date was used to assess patient eligibility. A 12-month post-index period was used to assess medication persistence, which was defined as the time to discontinuation. Overall data were analyzed and the results were also stratified by age group (≤65, >65 years), sex, or prior OAB medication experience. Persistence rates were calculated after the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th months. A data set of 52 722 cases was obtained (mirabegron: 11 424, antimuscarinics: 41 298). The mean age was 60.9 ± 16.1 years and the majority of the patients were female (30 862 [58.5%] patients). Median persistence was longer with mirabegron (51 days) versus antimuscarinics (25 days). The persistence rate with mirabegron was higher throughout the study compared with all the antimuscarinics (12-month data: 13.5% and 4.9%, respectively). Longer treatment persistence was noted in older, male, and treatment-experienced patients. The results from the HIRA database showed that persistence was longer with mirabegron than with antimuscarinics in South Korea. This finding may help inform clinical decision-making within the South Korean healthcare system.

Comparing medication persistence among patients with type 2 diabetes using sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in real-world setting

AimTo assess and compare the persistence with drug therapy between patients treated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2-I) therapy. MethodsThe 126,493 residents of the Lombardy Region (Italy) aged ≥ 40 years newly treated with metformin during 2007–2015 were followed until 2017 to identify those who started therapy with GLP1-RA or SGLT2-I. To make GLP1-RA and SGLT2-I users more comparable, a 1:1 matched cohort design was adopted. Matching variables were sex, age, and adherence to the first-line therapy with metformin. Log-binomial regression models were fitted to estimate the propensity to 1-year treatment persistence in relation to the therapeutic strategy. ResultsThe final matched cohort was composed by 1,276 GLP1-RA─SGLT2-I pairs. About 24% and 29% of cohort members respectively on GLP1-RA and SGLT2-I discontinued the drug treatment. Compared with patients starting SGLT2-I, those on GLP1-RA had 15% (95% confidence interval, 3–25%) lower risk of discontinuation of the treatments of interest and 45% (28–57%) lower risk of discontinuing any antidiabetic drug therapy. Persistence was better among GLP1-RA users who received a once-weekly administration. ConclusionsIn a real-life setting, patients who were prescribed a GLP1-RA exhibited more frequently better persistence to treatment than those prescribed a SGLT2-I therapy.

Objective medication adherence and persistence in people with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression.

BACKGROUND: Medication adherence is critical for the realization of pharmacotherapy benefits and reduced healthcare expenditure. Studies have shown up to 60% of people with Multiple sclerosis (MS) experience suboptimal medication adherence, which is associated with poorer health outcomes and subsequent discontinuation. The current systematic review reported on objectively measured adherence and discontinuation rates for self-administered oral and injectable disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). OBJECTIVES: To identify whether, in people with MS, the introduction of oral DMTs has improved medication adherence when compared with injectable DMTs. The secondary aim was to report synthesized objectively measured medication adherence and persistence rates for both oral and injectable DMTs in MS across varying study durations. METHODS: Literature searches were conducted through PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO. Inclusion criteria were limited to English, peer-reviewed, objective, self-administered DMT articles, published between July 1993 to December 2019. Publications reporting combined intravenous and self-administered DMT data, or that did not account for DMT switching in discontinuation rates, were excluded. Data were synthesized into observation lengths ranging from less than 8 months to greater than 36 months. Meta-analysis and meta-regression were undertaken on both oral and injectable 12-month adherence and discontinuation data. RESULTS: In total, 61 articles were included; 46 articles examined adherence and 26 examined discontinuation. Twelve-month adherence ranged between 53.0% to 89.2% for oral (N = 7) and 47.0% to 77.4% for injectable DMTs (N = 7). Results from the meta-analysis and meta-regression show significantly higher pooled mean medication possession ratio (MPR) adherence for oral DMTs (91.0%) when compared to injectable DMTs (77.0%) over 12 months (β = -0.146; 95% CI: -0.263 to -0.029). Results indicate major asymmetry across studies (LFK index: -5.18), proposing the presence of significant publication bias. Mean discontinuation over 12 months was between 10.5% to 33.3% for oral (N = 7) and 15.2% to 50.8% for injectable DMTs (N = 10), with meta-analysis results indicating the presence of significant heterogeneity (I2 Injectable: 99.5%; I2 Oral: 93.1%) between studies included in each subgroup. However, no appreciable difference in mean discontinuation rates across groups (Injectable: 27%; 95% Cl: 19.0%-34.0%; Oral: 24%; 95% CI: 17.0%-31.0%) was found. CONCLUSIONS: Medication adherence for oral DMTs suggests a significant improvement compared to adherence for injectable DMTs. No significant difference in discontinuation rates between oral and injectable DMTs was found. Oral DMT adherence and persistence studies are limited, given their relatively recent introduction. Suboptimal medication adherence and discontinuation issues remain present for both oral and injectable DMTs. Future studies would benefit from improved consistency in methodology, such as comparable adherence and persistence definitions. DISCLOSURES: The authors did not receive any funding for this study. Mardan and Hussain have nothing to disclose. Grech reports grants from Merck Pharmaceutical, outside the submitted work. Allan reports grants received from Merck Pharmaceutical outside the submitted work. Allan holds advisory board and consulting positions with Merck and advisory board positions for Bristol Myers Squibb and Novartis, for which Monash Institute of Neurological Diseases receives consulting fees.