title: Economic grand rounds: did Medicare Part D improve access to medications?
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: Marisa Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Domino
authors.forename: Joel F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Farley
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents