Chartbook Offers Insight into Drug Use Patterns Among Medicare Beneficiaries
<p>While the federal government, insurance plans, and others have worked hard to ensure a smooth transition to the Medicare Part D drug benefit, the process has been hindered by a lack of information on how Medicare beneficiaries use drugs and what constitutes effective and efficient utilization.<bR><br>To fill this information gap, researchers at the Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy have just published a chartbook, with Commonwealth Fund support, that examines patterns of prescription drug utilization among Medicare beneficiaries prior to Part D.<bR><bR>Using data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, Bruce Stuart, Ph.D., and colleagues present drug use patterns for beneficiaries with a selected set of conditions, including hypertension, heart failure, diabetes, and depression. The charts and accompanying text shed light on how Medicare beneficiaries use prescription drugs and what role those drugs may play for beneficiaries with different conditions and levels of complexity.<br><br>The research provides a baseline comparison for researchers and policymakers to use in efforts to improve Part D, the Medicare program, and the effectiveness of health care for Medicare beneficiaries.<br><br>To read the chartbook, please visit: <a href="http://www.pharmacy.umaryland.edu/lamy/Chartbook.html">www.pharmacy.uma…; Or, to order a print copy, please contact Crystal Weaver at the Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging at <a href="mailto:[email protected]"> [email protected].</a></p>
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletters/ealerts/2007/may/chartbook-offers-insight-into-drug-use-patterns-among-medicare-beneficiaries