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The Impact of Prescription Drug Coverage on Disparities in Adherence and Medication Use: A Systematic Review.

Authors :
Kaplan, Cameron M.
Waters, Teresa M.
Clear, Emily R.
Graves, Elizabeth E.
Henderson, Stephanie
Source :
Medical Care Research & Review. Apr2024, Vol. 81 Issue 2, p87-95. 9p.
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

Prescription drug cost-sharing is a barrier to medication adherence, particularly for low-income and minority populations. In this systematic review, we examined the impact of prescription drug cost-sharing and policies to reduce cost-sharing on racial/ethnic and income disparities in medication utilization. We screened 2,145 titles and abstracts and identified 19 peer-reviewed papers that examined the interaction between cost-sharing and racial/ethnic and income disparities in medication adherence or utilization. We found weak but inconsistent evidence that lower cost-sharing is associated with reduced disparities in adherence and utilization, but studies consistently found that significant disparities remained even after adjusting for differences in cost-sharing across individuals. Study designs varied in their ability to measure the causal effect of policy or cost-sharing changes on disparities, and a wide range of policies were examined across studies. Further research is needed to identify the types of policies that are best suited to reduce disparities in medication adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
10775587
Volume :
81
Issue :
2
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
Medical Care Research & Review
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
175940633
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1177/10775587231218050