Health Affairs

Posting date: February 18, 2004

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Health Affairs, 10.1377/hlthaff.w4.94
Copyright © 2004 by Project HOPE

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The Impact Of Drug Coverage On COX-2 Inhibitor Use In Medicare

Jalpa A. Doshi ^1*, Nicole Brandt ², Bruce Stuart ³

¹ Jalpa Doshi is a health services research scientist in the Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.
² Nicole Brandt is an assistant professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, in Baltimore.
³ Bruce Stuart is a professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.

^*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Passage of the Medicare drug benefit legislation has renewed attention to the relationship between drug coverage and medication use. This study assesses the impact of drug coverage on COX-2 inhibitor use among elderly people with osteoarthritis, taking into account risk for adverse gastrointestinal events. COX-2 use among aged beneficiaries with the most generous coverage was twice that of those with no third-party coverage. COX-2 use also increased with increasing gastrointestinal risk. However, this risk differential in COX-2 use disappears among those with the most generous coverage. Potential overuse of costly medications should be addressed as the Medicare drug benefit is being phased in.

Key Words: Consumer Issues, Internet And Health, Medicare, Pharmaceuticals, Managed Care - Medicaid

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