Pharmacotherapy for Alcohol Use Disorder Is Underutilized Among Commercially Insured Adults With Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) pharmacotherapy reduces hepatic decompensation and mortality in patients with alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). We aimed to characterize the use of AUD pharmacotherapy in a large national cohort.

Methods

Adults with AUD were identified in PharMetrics Plus for Academics-a nationally representative claims database of commercially insured Americans. We examined receipt of AUD therapy and associated treatment patterns.

Results

A total of 28,625 patients with AUD were identified: 1640 (5.7%) had ALD, among whom 439 (1.5%) had acute alcohol-associated hepatitis (AAH). Pharmacotherapy was prescribed in 14.5% of patients without ALD, 2.3% with ALD cirrhosis, and 9.8% with AAH. The most prescribed medication was gabapentin (

SUBMITTER: Lieber SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12547902 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature