Effect of Prescription Drug Coupons on Statin Utilization and Expenditures: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Drug coupons are widely used, but their effects are not well understood.

Objective

To quantify the effect of coupons on statin use and expenditures.

Design

Retrospective cohort analysis of IMS Health LRx LifeLink database.

Setting

U.S. retail pharmacy transactions.

Participants

Incident statin users who initiated branded atorvastatin or rosuvastatin between June 2006 and February 2013.

Main outcomes and measures

Monthly statin utilization (pill-days of therapy), switching (filling a different statin), termination (failure to refill statin for 6 mo), and out-of-pocket and total costs.

Results

Of 1.1 million incident atorvastatin and rosuvastatin users, 2% used a coupon for at least one statin fill. At 1 year, compared with noncoup

SUBMITTER: Daubresse M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5243177 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature