Association of Formulary Prior Authorization Policies With Buprenorphine-Naloxone Prescriptions and Hospital and Emergency Department Use Among Medicare Beneficiaries.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Prior authorization requirements may be a barrier to accessing medications for opioid use disorder treatment and may, therefore, be associated with poor health care outcomes.

Objective

To determine the association of prior authorization with use of buprenorphine-naloxone and health care outcomes.

Design, setting, and participants

This comparative interrupted time series analysis examined enrollment and insurance claims data from Medicare beneficiaries with an opioid use disorder diagnosis or who filled a prescription for an opioid use disorder medication between 2012 and 2017. Over this period, 775 874 members were in 1479 Part D plans that always required prior authorization, 113 286 members were in 206 plans that removed prior authorization, 189 461 membe

SUBMITTER: Mark TL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7171554 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature