Walgreens Study Finds Medication Adherence for 90-day Retail Prescriptions Slightly Higher than 90-day Mail Order

DEERFIELD, Ill., December 22, 2011 - A new Walgreens (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG) study analyzing relative medication adherence of patients filling 90-day supplies of maintenance medications using retail and mail order channels over a one-year period concluded that patients who fill prescriptions via retail have as high or slightly higher adherence levels than those utilizing mail (77 percent vs. 76 percent). The study, “Medication Adherence for 90-Day Quantities of Medication Dispensed Through Retail and Mail Order Pharmacies,” was recently released in the November issue of The American Journal of Managed Care.
 

Previous research demonstrates that medication non-adherence has a significant negative impact on patient outcomes and overall health care costs. On average 50 percent of patients do not take their medications as prescribed and 33 percent never even fill their first prescription¹. Eleven percent of hospital admissions and 40 percent of nursing home admissions are attributable to medication non-adherence, costing the U.S. health care system approximately $300 billion annually including $100 billion in avoidable hospitalizations alone.^2,3 As the number of Americans taking prescription drugs and the prevalence of chronic conditions grows, reducing non-adherence has increasingly become a primary focus for health plan sponsors.
 

“We know that improving patient adherence is critical and that many patients value the power of choice when it comes to how they receive their prescriptions,” said Walgreens Senior Vice President of Pharmacy, Health and Wellness Services and Solutions Jeffrey Kang, MD. “What this study shows is that patients taking maintenance medications who receive 90-day prescriptions are overall as likely or even slightly more likely to be adherent when utilizing the retail community pharmacy channel as they are with mail order. Given that community pharmacy also provides patients the potential benefit of face-to-face interaction with a pharmacist to help them manage their medications and overall wellness, these findings suggest that a 90-day at retail option in health plans potentially drives better patient outcomes and reduced costs for employers and payers.”
 

For the study, de-identified pharmacy claims data from a large pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) was analyzed. Patients were selected if they were continuously eligible for at least 12 months between January 2008 and August 2010, with plan designs that allowed the option of filling 90-day supplies at either retail or mail order. Adherence was measured by medication possessions ratio (MPR) for nine therapeutic groups (antiasthmatics and bronchodilators, antidepressants, antidiabetics, antihyperlipidemics, antihypertensives, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics and thyroid agents).

Published peer-reviewed studies are critical when looking at comparative effectiveness and determining the best, cost-effective outcomes. Walgreens conducted this study as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to offer patients and payers solutions that address medication adherence and improvement in clinical measures for chronic diseases. Walgreens programs exist for diabetes, HIV, hepatitis C and many other conditions where patients require face-to-face support by knowledgeable, trained clinicians in collaboration with their physician and health care team. Walgreens is committed to conducting peer-reviewed research that looks at the collaborative care model with all contributing health care professionals.
 

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2011 sales of $72 billion. The company operates 7,812 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.
 

¹ Norman G. “It takes more than Wireless to unbind Healthcare”. Presentation at Healthcare Unbound 2007 Conference.

² Osterberg L, Blaschke T. Adherence to medication. N Engl J Med. 2005; 353(5):487-497

³ NEHI Research Shows Patient Medication Nonadherence Costs Health Care System $290 Billion Annually