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Comparative Study
. 2009 Dec;44(6):2079-92.
doi: 10.1111/j.1475-6773.2009.01023.x. Epub 2009 Sep 23.

The influence of targeted education on medication persistence and generic substitution among consumer-directed health care enrollees

Rebecca L Sedjo  1 , Emily R Cox
Affiliations
Comparative Study

The influence of targeted education on medication persistence and generic substitution among consumer-directed health care enrollees

Rebecca L Sedjo et al. Health Serv Res. 2009 Dec.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate an educational outreach among consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) enrollees on medication persistence and lower-cost generic substitution within four chronic medication therapies.

Study setting: A cross-sectional analysis using pharmacy claims data from a national employer group that began offering a CDHP in 2006 and implemented an educational outreach to some CDHP enrollees in 2007 was used.

Methods: The intervention group was comprised of CDHP enrollees who received education outreach and was compared with CDHP enrollees without the educational outreach. Adjusted and unadjusted medication persistence and lower-cost generic substitutions were compared between groups.

Principal findings: There was no difference in medication persistence between groups. CDHP enrollees with the educational outreach were more likely to have converted to lower-cost generic alternative antihypertensive medication compared with CDHP enrollees without the educational outreach (OR(adj)=29.82, 95 percent CI=4.41-201.93).

Conclusion: Educational outreach directed to CDHP enrollees was associated with increases in lower-cost generic alternatives with no change in patients' chronic medication use. However, considerable opportunity exists to assist CDHP enrollees in making sound health care decisions.

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