Cost analysis in a Medicaid program for patients with bipolar disorder who initiated atypical antipsychotic monotherapy.
BACKGROUND
Use of atypical antipsychotics in treatment of patients with bipolar disorder is increasingly common, yet few studies have systematically investigated or compared medical costs associated with use of specific atypical antipsychotics.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the direct healthcare costs associated with olanzapine, risperidone, or quetiapine monotherapy among Medicaid patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder (ICD-9: 296.4x-296.8x).


METHODS
North Carolina Medicaid patients with bipolar disorder were followed for 12 months after initiation of atypical antipsychotic monotherapy (index date). They had no bipolar-related medical visit, hospitalization, or use of atypical antipsychotics 90-days prior to the treatment initiation. Costs of index drug, all bipolar-related medical care, and all health-related costs were examined. A two-stage sample selection model was employed to account for potential confounders and sample selection bias. Medication adherence measures using cumulative medication acquisition and cumulative medication gap were calculated as separate outcomes.


RESULTS
Inclusion criteria were met by 838 continuously eligible patients (393 olanzapine, 262 risperidone, 183 quetiapine). Drug-taking adherence was similar across the drug cohorts. After adjusting for potential confounders, patients taking olanzapine incurred $863 (p < 0.001) and $449 higher (p < 0.01) index drug costs than patients taking risperidone and quetiapine, respectively. Bipolar-related medical costs for patients taking olanzapine were higher ($616; p = 0.06) than for patients taking risperidone at 10% significance level, while such costs for patients taking olanzapine and quetiapine were similar. Total health-related costs did not differ across patient cohorts, including or excluding the index drug costs.


CONCLUSIONS
The final study sample is a highly selected one based on the study design. This sample may not represent the entire bipolar population. The criteria used to guard against omitting bipolar disorder patients misdiagnosed with major depression need further validation.


CONCLUSIONS
No evidence was identified that there is any difference for total health-related costs in using olanzapine, risperidone, or quetiapine monotherapy to treat bipolar disorder, from a Medicaid payer's perspective. The clinical difference between these atypical antipsychotic drugs for the treatment of bipolar disorder could be of more interest than the economic difference.
Qiu
Ying
Y
Merck & Co, Inc, Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA.
Christensen
Dale B
DB
Fu
Alex Z
AZ
Liu
Gordon G
GG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina; D010349:Patient Compliance; D014481:United States
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents