scholarly journals Delta T, a Useful Indicator for Pharmacy Dispensing Data to Monitor Medication Adherence

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 103
Author(s):  
Pascal C. Baumgartner ◽  
Bernard Vrijens ◽  
Samuel Allemann ◽  
Kurt E. Hersberger ◽  
Isabelle Arnet

Introduction: Calculating patients’ medication availability from dispensing or refill data is a common method to estimate adherence. The most often used measures, such as the medication possession ratio (MPR), average medication supplies over an arbitrary period. Averaging masks the variability of refill behavior over time. Goal: To derive a new absolute adherence estimate from dispensing data. Method: Dispensing histories of patients with 19 refills of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2017 were extracted from 39 community pharmacies in Switzerland. The difference between the calculated and effective refill day (ΔT) was determined for each refill event. We graphed ΔT and its dichotomized version (dΔT) against the MPR, calculated mean ΔT and mean dΔT per refill, and applied cluster analysis. Results: We characterized 2204 refill events from 116 DOAC patients. MPR was high (0.975 ± 0.129) and showed a positive correlation with mean ΔT. Refills occurred on average 17.8 ± 27.9 days “too early”, with a mean of 75.8 ± 20.2 refills being “on time”. Four refill behavior patterns were identified including constant gaps within or at the end of the observation period, which were critical. Conclusion: We introduce a new absolute adherence estimate ΔT that characterizes every refill event and shows that the refill behavior of DOAC patients is dynamic.

Author(s):  
Margaret C. Fang ◽  
Alan S. Go ◽  
Priya A. Prasad ◽  
Jin-Wen Hsu ◽  
Dongjie Fan ◽  
...  

AbstractTreatment options for patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) include warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Although DOACs are easier to administer than warfarin and do not require routine laboratory monitoring, few studies have directly assessed whether patients are more satisfied with DOACs. We surveyed adults from two large integrated health systems taking DOACs or warfarin for incident VTE occurring between January 1, 2015 and June 30, 2018. Treatment satisfaction was assessed using the validated Anti-Clot Treatment Scale (ACTS), divided into the ACTS Burdens and ACTS Benefits scores; higher scores indicate greater satisfaction. Mean treatment satisfaction was compared using multivariable linear regression, adjusting for patient demographic and clinical characteristics. The effect size of the difference in means was calculated using a Cohen’s d (0.20 is considered a small effect and ≥ 0.80 is considered large). We surveyed 2217 patients, 969 taking DOACs and 1248 taking warfarin at the time of survey. Thirty-one point five percent of the cohort was aged ≥ 75 years and 43.1% were women. DOAC users were on average more satisfied with anticoagulant treatment, with higher adjusted mean ACTS Burdens (50.18 v. 48.01, p < 0.0001) and ACTS Benefits scores (10.21 v. 9.84, p = 0.046) for DOACs vs. warfarin, respectively. The magnitude of the difference was small (Cohen’s d of 0.29 for ACTS Burdens and 0.12 for ACTS Benefits). Patients taking DOACs for venous thromboembolism were on average more satisfied with anticoagulant treatment than were warfarin users, although the magnitude of the difference was small.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e040449
Author(s):  
Gualtiero Palareti ◽  
Emilia Antonucci ◽  
Cristina Legnani ◽  
Daniela Mastroiacovo ◽  
Daniela Poli ◽  
...  

ObjectiveThe proportion and characteristics of Italian patients affected by venous thromboembolism (VTE) treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) or vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), and complications occurring during follow-up.DesignA prospective cohort of 2728 VTE patients included in the Survey on anticoagulaTed pAtients RegisTer (START2-Register) from January 2014 to June 2018 was investigated. Characteristics of patients, type of treatment and complications occurring during 2962 years of follow-up were analysed.SettingAbout 60 Italian anticoagulation and thrombosis centres participated in the observational START2-RegisterParticipants2728 adult patients with VTE of a lower limb and/or pulmonary embolism (PE), with a follow-up after the initial phase treatment.InterventionsPatients could receive DOACs or VKAs; both prescribed by the National and Regional Health Systems for patients with VTE.Outcomes measuresEfficacy: rate of VTE recurrence (all thrombotic complications were also recorded). Safety: the rate of major and clinically relevant non-major bleeding events.ResultsAlmost 80% of patients were treated with DOACs. The prevalence of symptomatic PE and impaired renal function was higher in patients receiving VKAs. Duration of anticoagulation was >180 days in approximately 70% of patients. Bleeding events were similar in both treatment groups. The overall eventuality of recurrence was significantly higher in DOAC cohorts versus VKA cohorts (HR 2.15 (1.14–4.06), p=0.018); the difference was almost completely due to recurrences occurring during extended treatment (2.73% DOAC vs 0.49% VKA, p<0.0001). All-cause mortality was higher in VKA-treated (5.9%) than in DOAC-treated patients (2.6%, p<0.001).ConclusionItalian centres treat most patients with VTE with DOACs and prefer VKA for those with more serious clinical conditions. Recurrences were significantly more frequent in DOAC-treated patients due to increased incidence after 180 days of treatment, probably due to reduced adherence to treatment. These results underline the importance of structured surveillance of DOAC-treated patients with VTE to strengthen treatment adherence during extended therapy.


Author(s):  
R. E. Harskamp ◽  
J. C. L. Himmelreich ◽  
G. W. M. Wong ◽  
M. Teichert

Abstract Objectives To describe the prevalence, temporal and regional trends in prescribing direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in conjunction with interacting medications. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study of pharmacy dispensing data in the Foundation for Pharmaceutical Statistics (SFK) registry on patients who have had a prescription for a DOAC filled at one of 831 randomly selected pharmacies in the Netherlands between Jan 2014–Jan 2019. Results We identified 99,211 patients who had a first DOAC prescription filled. Mean age was 71.6 ± 10.9 years, 58% were male. In 2014, 8,293 patients were treated with DOACs, in 2018, 35,415 were newly started on a DOAC. In 2018, the use of apixaban was most common (52%) in the Eastern region, whereas rivaroxaban was most frequently prescribed (32–48%) in the other regions. At time of first prescription, the vast majority (99.3%) used ≥ 1 concomitant interacting drug, and 3.2% used ≥ 3 interacting medications. Most common were digoxin (37.8%), atorvastatin (31.5%), verapamil (13.7%) and amiodarone (9.7%). While the number of interacting medications remained unchanged over time (median 1, interquartile range 1–1), there was a notable decrease in antiarrhythmic medications and an increase in non-cardiovascular interacting medications (e.g. dexamethasone from 0.9% to 7.1%, antiepileptic drugs from 2.5% to 3.8%, and haloperidol from 0.5% to 2.2% in 2014 and 2018, respectively). Conclusion DOAC use has quadrupled in Dutch clinical practice over the 5‑year period from 2014 to 2018. While the number of patients who take interacting medications remained stable, the profile of interacting medications has changed over time from cardiovascular to medications affecting other organ systems.


Author(s):  
Aya F. Ozaki ◽  
Austin S. Choi ◽  
Quan T. Le ◽  
Dennis T. Ko ◽  
Janet K. Han ◽  
...  

Background: Stroke reduction with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in atrial fibrillation (AF) is dependent on adherence and persistence in the real-world setting. Individual study estimates of DOAC adherence/persistence rates have been discordant. Our aims were to characterize real-world observational evidence for DOAC adherence/persistence and evaluate associated clinical outcomes in patients with AF. Methods and Results: PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL were searched from inception to June 2018. Observational studies that reported real-world DOAC adherence/persistence in patients with AF were included. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Meta-analyses for pooled estimates were performed using DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models. Outcomes included DOAC mean proportion of days covered or medication possession ratio, proportion of good adherence (proportion of days covered/medication possession ratio ≥80%), persistence, DOAC versus vitamin K antagonists persistence, and clinical outcomes associated with nonadherence/nonpersistence. Forty-eight observational studies with 594 784 unique patients with AF (59% male; mean age 71 years) were included. The overall pooled mean proportion of days covered/medication possession ratio was 77% (95% CI, 75%–80%), proportion of patients with good adherence was 66% (95% CI, 63%–70%), and proportion persistent was 69% (95% CI, 65%–72%). The pooled proportion of patients with good adherence was 71% (95% CI, 64%–78%) for apixaban, 60% (95% CI, 52%–68%) for dabigatran, and 70% (95% CI, 64%–75%) for rivaroxaban. Similar patterns were found for pooled persistence by agent. The pooled persistence was higher with DOACs than vitamin K antagonists (odds ratio, 1.44 [95% CI, 1.12–.86]). DOAC nonadherence was associated with an increased risk of stroke (hazard ratio, 1.39 [95% CI, 1.06–1.81]). Conclusions: Suboptimal adherence and persistence to DOACs was common in patients with AF, with 1 in 3 patients adhering to their DOAC <80% of the time, which was associated with poor clinical outcomes in nonadherent patients. Although it is convenient that DOACs do not require laboratory monitoring, greater effort in monitoring for and interventions to prevent nonadherence may be necessary to optimize stroke prevention. Increased clinician awareness of DOAC nonadherence may help identify at-risk patients.


Heart ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amitava Banerjee ◽  
Valerio Benedetto ◽  
Philip Gichuru ◽  
Jane Burnell ◽  
Sotiris Antoniou ◽  
...  

BackgroundDespite simpler regimens than vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF), adherence (taking drugs as prescribed) and persistence (continuation of drugs) to direct oral anticoagulants are suboptimal, yet understudied in electronic health records (EHRs).ObjectiveWe investigated (1) time trends at individual and system levels, and (2) the risk factors for and associations between adherence and persistence.MethodsIn UK primary care EHR (The Health Information Network 2011–2016), we investigated adherence and persistence at 1 year for oral anticoagulants (OACs) in adults with incident AF. Baseline characteristics were analysed by OAC and adherence/persistence status. Risk factors for non-adherence and non-persistence were assessed using Cox and logistic regression. Patterns of adherence and persistence were analysed.ResultsAmong 36 652 individuals with incident AF, cardiovascular comorbidities (median CHA2DS2VASc[Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age≥75 years, Diabetes mellitus, Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65-74 years, Sex category] 3) and polypharmacy (median number of drugs 6) were common. Adherence was 55.2% (95% CI 54.6 to 55.7), 51.2% (95% CI 50.6 to 51.8), 66.5% (95% CI 63.7 to 69.2), 63.1% (95% CI 61.8 to 64.4) and 64.7% (95% CI 63.2 to 66.1) for all OACs, VKA, dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban. One-year persistence was 65.9% (95% CI 65.4 to 66.5), 63.4% (95% CI 62.8 to 64.0), 61.4% (95% CI 58.3 to 64.2), 72.3% (95% CI 70.9 to 73.7) and 78.7% (95% CI 77.1 to 80.1) for all OACs, VKA, dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban. Risk of non-adherence and non-persistence increased over time at individual and system levels. Increasing comorbidity was associated with reduced risk of non-adherence and non-persistence across all OACs. Overall rates of ‘primary non-adherence’ (stopping after first prescription), ‘non-adherent non-persistence’ and ‘persistent adherence’ were 3.5%, 26.5% and 40.2%, differing across OACs.ConclusionsAdherence and persistence to OACs are low at 1 year with heterogeneity across drugs and over time at individual and system levels. Better understanding of contributory factors will inform interventions to improve adherence and persistence across OACs in individuals and populations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 412-418
Author(s):  
Christian Gronemann ◽  
Stephan Hause ◽  
Anne Assmann ◽  
Jens Neumann ◽  
Stefanie Schreiber ◽  
...  

Introduction: Approximately 1 out of 4 stroke patients suffers ischemic stroke secondary to atrial fibrillation (AF). Although indicated, withholding of anticoagulants for secondary prevention is a widespread phenomenon. Objective: We examined the longitudinal change of recommendation and prescription of secondary preventive anticoagulation in AF patients in an acute stroke center setting focusing on the impact of the introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and the change of national stroke prevention guidelines. Methods: Consecutive patients admitted with an acute cerebrovascular ischemic event underwent regular diagnostic work-up. Pseudonymized clinical data were entered into the institution’s stroke registry. In those patients with AF, discharge letters were collected and evaluated for temporal trends and affecting factors of recommended and prescribed antithrombotic secondary medication at the time of discharge from hospital. Results: Of 7,175 patients admitted between January 2009 and December 2018, 1,812 (25.3%) suffered stroke caused by AF. Frequency of patients with recommended anticoagulation increased within the observation period from 66.7 to 95.8% (per year; adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.309; confidence interval [CI], 1.153–1.486). Independently from this time trend, DOAC approval (adjusted OR, 4.026; CI 1.962–8.265) and guideline change (adjusted OR, 2.184; CI, 1.006–4.743) were associated with an increasing frequency of recommendation for anticoagulation. The rate of patients already receiving recommended anticoagulation for secondary prevention at discharge increased from 42.1 to 62.5%. Introduction of DOACs was not associated with this trend, and guideline change was even associated with decreasing frequency of anticoagulated patients at hospital discharge (adjusted OR, 0.641; CI, 0.414–0.991). Fear of early intracerebral bleeding was the most common reason for withholding anticoagulation (37%) at hospital discharge and stayed stable during the observation period. Conclusions: Changing national guidelines with discard of contraindications for anticoagulation and the introduction of DOACs led to a broader recommendation of oral anticoagulation. However, both, new guidelines and DOACs, were not found to be associated with an increasing percentage of patients discharged from our hospital already on recommended anticoagulant prevention. This might be explained by the decreasing length of hospital stay during the study period and a missing evidence of early bleeding risk of DOACs in patients with acute brain infarction. Evidence-based data to close this therapeutic gap are needed.


Blood ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 128 (22) ◽  
pp. 5024-5024
Author(s):  
Joseph Shatzel ◽  
Molly Daughety ◽  
Derrick Tao ◽  
Edward Kim ◽  
Sven Olson ◽  
...  

Abstract INTRODUCTION Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been shown to have equal or superior efficacy and safety when compared to Vitamin K antagonists, and have become first line therapy for many disease processes. While both the once daily drug rivaroxaban and the twice daily drug apixaban have been shown to be highly effective anticoagulants, it is unknown if differences in their dosing frequency affects patient compliance and, consequently, the likelihood of anticoagulant failure. In this study, we retrospectively evaluated the medication adherence rates of all individuals prescribed therapeutic rivaroxaban or apixaban over a one year period in our pharmacy. METHODS In this retrospective cohort study, we obtained a list of all patients prescribed treatment dose rivaroxaban or apixaban from July 2015 to July 2016 (including the initial loading and maintenance dose) at our university-affiliated pharmacy. We excluded patients who received less than three separate refills or patients on prophylactic or decreased doses. Medication possession ratio for each individual was calculated based on refill dates and means were compared using an unpaired t-test. RESULTS During the study period, there were 756 therapeutically-dosed rivaroxaban or apixaban prescriptions. After excluding individuals who received fewer than three separate refills at our pharmacy (49.3%), 105 rivaroxaban refills and 278 apixaban refills were included (mean prescription size of 32.2 tabs for rivaroxaban and 65.7 tabs for apixaban). In the rivaroxaban group, the mean medication possession ratio across the cohort was 0.9321 (SD=0.1057). In the apixaban group, the mean medication possession ratio across the cohort was 0.9051 (SD=0.1467). The mean difference of the possession ratios was 0.0269 (95% confidence interval -0.0433 to 0.0971, p = 0.4472), thus there was no statistically significant difference in possession ratios between the study drugs. CONCLUSIONS Analyzing our internal pharmacy data, we found that among individuals who filled at least three times, medication adherence was high and not dissimilar between the two groups. Thus, the likelihood of compliance does not appear to be dependent on dosing frequency. However, it should be noted that nearly half of patients filled fewer than three times at our pharmacy and were thus excluded. It is unclear whether these patients completed their prescribed course, discontinued the drug all together or elected to refill at an alternative location, but it is likely that this may have caused an overestimation of drug adherence. While larger studies are needed to further assess adherence between the two drugs, these findings are reassuring that medication compliance between rivaroxaban and apixaban are similar in those who continue the drug. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2020 ◽  
pp. 089719002096927
Author(s):  
Kristina Falk ◽  
Meghan N. McComb ◽  
Nancy L. Shapiro ◽  
Ellen M. Uppuluri

Introduction: There is limited efficacy and safety data for direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with obesity, and it has been suggested to avoid DOACs in this patient population. Objective: Describe the prescribing pattern of oral anticoagulants in obese patients in an urban university setting and assess efficacy, safety, and adherence. Methods: Retrospective, cohort study in patients ≥18 years with a history of VTE and/or atrial fibrillation. Patients with a BMI >40 kg/m2 and/or weight >120 kilograms and a prescription for warfarin or a DOAC from August 25, 2014 until August 25, 2017 are included. The primary outcome is the number of warfarin or DOAC prescriptions. Secondary outcomes include thromboembolism and bleeding events. Patient adherence was evaluated using time in therapeutic range (TTR), adherence rate to clinic appointments, and medication possession ratio (MPR). Results: Of the 276 patients who met eligibility criteria, 158 (57.2%) were prescribed warfarin and 118 (42.8%) were prescribed a DOAC. There was no difference in the rate of stroke or recurrent VTE between groups (3.2% vs. 3.4%, p = 0.944). There was also no difference in the rate of bleeding between groups (16.1% vs. 17.8%, p = 0.707). The TTR for the warfarin group was 44.8 ± 23%, and appointment adherence was 78.6 ± 20%. The MPR for the DOAC group was 0.93 ± 0.24. Conclusions: Despite limited data in obese patients, DOACs are prescribed in this population. Results suggest no difference in safety and efficacy compared to warfarin, but barriers to quality anticoagulation may exist in this population.


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