Health Care Costs and Use of Patients Prescribed Four Different Obesity Medications
Main finding · Year 1Result — go to the resultDifference in total costs 73.6 % CI 70.9%–76.3%Authors' conclusion
The cost of OM treatment, even for medications that preceded highly effective weekly incretin analogues, appeared to increase overall prescription spending and total health care costs. Yet, other than a relative decrease in primary care physician visit frequency, more costly OMs were not associated with favorable changes in health care use patterns compared to generic phentermine. Reductions in OM cost and other interventions to support their longer-term use may be needed to fully realize the promise of these medications.
Study context
- Population
- Commercially insured new initiators of obesity medications for obesity
- Participants
- 136,788 / 13,888 / 28,712 / 49,266
- Exposure
- Phentermine-topiramate-ER, naltrexone-bupropion-SR and liraglutide vs phentermine
- Phenterminen = 136,788reference
- Phentermine-topiramate-ERn = 13,888
- Naltrexone-bupropion-SRn = 28,712
- Liraglutiden = 49,266
- Outcome
- Change in total annual prescription drug and health care costs, outpatient visits, and acute care use (combined ED visits and hospital stays)
- Follow-up
- Up to 3 years after initiation
Methodological detailscommercial insurance claims, multivariable difference-in-differences analyses
- Commercial insurance claims
- Multivariable difference-in-differences analyses
Main finding
Year 1 · up to 3 years after OM initiation
Difference in total costs
73.6 %
CI 70.9%–76.3%
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Difference (%) (CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary care physician visit frequency · year 1Liraglutidevs Phentermine | −12.6 (−13.6% to −11.6%) | |
| −20−10010Difference, % (linear scale) |
Primary care physician visit frequency · year 1
- Primary care physician visit frequency slightly lower for the newer obesity medications (OMs)
Original publication
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