Prescription coverage in indigent patients affects the use of long-acting opioids in the management of cancer pain.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

We tested the hypothesis that prescription coverage affects the prescribing of long-acting opiates to indigent inner city minority patients with cancer pain.

Materials and methods

We conducted a chart review of 360 patients treated in the Oncology Practice at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey University Hospital, who were prescribed opiate pain medications. Half the patients were charity care or self-pay (CC/SP), without the benefit of prescription coverage, and half had Medicaid, with unlimited prescription coverage. We evaluated patients discharged from a hospitalization, who had three subsequent outpatient follow-up visits. We compared demographics, pain intensity, the type and dose of opiates, adherence to prescribed pain regimen, unscheduled eme

SUBMITTER: Wieder R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3947034 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature