Expanding access to triptans: assessment of clinical outcome.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether access to more liberal quantities of rizatriptan improves clinical outcome in patients with episodic migraine.


BACKGROUND
Currently many pharmacy benefit programs limit the number of triptan tablets/injections per month based on perceived cost savings and the belief that too-frequent use of triptans may lead to medication overuse headache and headache chronification.


METHODS
This observer-blind, randomized, parallel-group study enrolled 197 subjects with migraine with or without aura. Subjects completed a 3-month baseline period to establish migraine frequency and then were randomly assigned to receive 9 (formulary limit [FL]) or 27 (clinical limit [CL]) tablets of 10 mg rizatriptan orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) per month for 3 months. The primary endpoint was change in the mean number of migraine days from the baseline to treatment period.


RESULTS
There was no statistically significant difference between the FL and CL groups in mean number of migraine days (FL-CL LS mean: -0.08 [-0.39, 0.23]; P = .613). Subjects in the CL group treated attacks at lower headache severity. No CL subjects were reported to have developed chronic migraine despite utilization of greater than 10 rizatriptan ODT tablets per month. Rizatriptan was generally well tolerated by both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Providing a greater quantity of rizatriptan ODT 10 mg did not reduce the number of migraine days compared with providing 9 tablets per month for this population with episodic migraine with a frequency of 3-8 migraines per month. Regardless of quantity provided, rizatriptan was generally well tolerated.
Cady
Roger K
RK
Banyan Group Inc., Headache Care Center, 3805 S. Kansas Expressway, Springfield, MO 65807, USA.
Goldstein
Jerome
J
Silberstein
Stephen
S
Juhász
Márta
M
Ramsey
Karen
K
Rodgers
Anthony
A
Hustad
Carolyn M
CM
Ho
Tony
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014230:Triazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014363:Tryptamines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult
D014230:Triazoles; D014363:Tryptamines; C093622:rizatriptan