TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of prescription refill on quality of care among patients with type 2 diabetes
T2 - An exploratory study
AU - Wang, Jong Yi
AU - Lee, Shu Hui
AU - Lee, I. Te
AU - Chen, Jen De
AU - Sheu, Wayne Huey Herng
PY - 2014/7
Y1 - 2014/7
N2 - Aim: Prescription refill might be effective in saving health expenditures, but whether a refilled prescription that reduces physician consultation affects quality of diabetes care is unknown. This study sought to examine the effect of prescription refill on the outcome quality of diabetes care. Methods: A quasi-experiment design with repeated HbA1c measures for the pretest and posttest periods for a total of 2 years was used. HbA1c functions as an outcome quality indicator. Prescription refill was measured dichotomously and also in times. Retrospective data of 1005 patients with type 2 diabetes were analyzed mainly by repeated measure General Linear Modeling at the multivariate level with difference-in-difference (DID) statistics. Results: Patients using prescription refills (n=779) experienced a significant decrease in HbA1c (from 8.4% to 7.8%, P<. 0.001), compared with those without refill (n=226, from 8.5% to 8.3%, P=0.171), with 0.3% of DID (P=0.043). Compared with non-refill peers, a greater percentage of patients refilling their prescriptions met the American Diabetes Association standards goal of (<7%/53. mmol/mol, P=0.037). Certain patients and physician characteristics were associated with the use of refills. Conclusions: Clinically appropriate use of prescription refill would not result in a deterioration in glycemic control. On this basis, continuous refills may further benefit diabetic patients in treatment outcome and future cost. More attention is needed on the quality-effectiveness of prescription refill.
AB - Aim: Prescription refill might be effective in saving health expenditures, but whether a refilled prescription that reduces physician consultation affects quality of diabetes care is unknown. This study sought to examine the effect of prescription refill on the outcome quality of diabetes care. Methods: A quasi-experiment design with repeated HbA1c measures for the pretest and posttest periods for a total of 2 years was used. HbA1c functions as an outcome quality indicator. Prescription refill was measured dichotomously and also in times. Retrospective data of 1005 patients with type 2 diabetes were analyzed mainly by repeated measure General Linear Modeling at the multivariate level with difference-in-difference (DID) statistics. Results: Patients using prescription refills (n=779) experienced a significant decrease in HbA1c (from 8.4% to 7.8%, P<. 0.001), compared with those without refill (n=226, from 8.5% to 8.3%, P=0.171), with 0.3% of DID (P=0.043). Compared with non-refill peers, a greater percentage of patients refilling their prescriptions met the American Diabetes Association standards goal of (<7%/53. mmol/mol, P=0.037). Certain patients and physician characteristics were associated with the use of refills. Conclusions: Clinically appropriate use of prescription refill would not result in a deterioration in glycemic control. On this basis, continuous refills may further benefit diabetic patients in treatment outcome and future cost. More attention is needed on the quality-effectiveness of prescription refill.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.diabres.2014.04.001
DO - 10.1016/j.diabres.2014.04.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 24842246
AN - SCOPUS:84902540376
VL - 105
SP - 110
EP - 118
JO - Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice
JF - Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice
SN - 0168-8227
IS - 1
ER -