title: Antidepressant and antipsychotic use and adherence among Medicaid youths: differences by race.
abstract: The purpose of our study is to use Medicaid data to examine the relationship between race and (a) whether youth with schizophrenia or depression diagnoses receive anti-psychotic and antidepressant prescriptions and (b) adherence to anti-psychotics and antidepressants. The analysis is based on claims files from January 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001. To assess adherence, we used the Proportion of Days Covered (PDC) measure. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Black children with schizophrenia were significantly less likely to be adherent to anti-psychotics during a quarter than White children. White children with depression were significantly more likely to receive an antidepressant prescription and they were significantly more adherent during a quarter than Black children. Providers should make sure to investigate both youth and caregiver concerns, fears, and barriers to using these medications and work with the families to develop strategies to improve medication use among youth.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB # 7590, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7590, USA. Betsy_Sleath@unc.edu
authors.forename: Betsy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sleath
authors.forename: Marisa E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Domino
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wiley-Exley
authors.forename: Bradley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid; D009657:North Carolina; D010349:Patient Compliance; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents