Economic grand rounds: did Medicare Part D improve access to medications?
This study examined medication use among Medicare beneficiaries and dually eligible beneficiaries before and after the implementation of Medicare Part D on January 1, 2006. Nationally representative 2004-2006 data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey were used. Two large classes of psychotropic medications (antidepressant and antipsychotic medications) and two large classes of nonpsychotropic medications (lipid-lowering and antihypertensive agents) were examined to determine whether changes in prescription patterns occurred as a result of the implementation of Part D. There was no strong evidence that Part D was associated with large changes in access to medications in the four classes of medications examined here.
Domino
Marisa Elena
ME
Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1104G McGavran-Greenberg Hall, CB#7411, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7411, USA. domino@unc.edu
Farley
Joel F
JF
D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000639:trends; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000592:standards; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D054524:Medicare Part D / Q000191:economics*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D014481:United States; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents