The Prevalence and Predictors of Low-Cost Generic Program Use in a Nationally Representative Uninsured Population.
Joshua D BrownNathan J PaulyJeffery C TalbertPublished in: Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) (2016)
The uninsured population has much to gain from affordable sources of prescription medications. No prior studies have assessed the prevalence and predictors of low-cost generic drug programs (LCGP) use in the uninsured population in the United States. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) during 2007-2012 including individuals aged 18 and older who were uninsured for the entire 2-year period they were in MEPS. The proportions of LCGP fills and users was tracked each year and logistic regression was used to assess significant factors associated with LCGP use. A total of 8.3 million uninsured individuals were represented by the sample and 39.9% of these used an LCGP. Differences between users and non-users included higher age, gender, year of participation, and number of medications filled. The proportion of fills and users via LCGPs increased over the 2007-2012 study period. Healthcare providers, especially pharmacists, should make uninsured patients aware of this source of affordable medications.
Keyphrases
- low cost
- affordable care act
- healthcare
- risk factors
- health insurance
- end stage renal disease
- ejection fraction
- newly diagnosed
- mental health
- public health
- emergency department
- prognostic factors
- cross sectional
- quality improvement
- electronic health record
- machine learning
- big data
- patient reported outcomes
- social media
- deep learning
- middle aged