Healthy Skepticism Library item: 19427
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Publication type: Journal Article
Shrank WH, Liberman JN, Fischer MA, Avorn J, Kilabuk E, Chang A, Kesselheim AS, Brennan TA, Choudhry NK
The consequences of requesting 'dispense as written'.
Am J Med 2011 Apr; 124:(4):309-17
http://www.nelm.nhs.uk/en/NeLM-Area/Evidence/Medicines-Management/References/2011---March/29/The-consequences-of-requesting-Dispense-as-written/
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: All US states have
adopted generic substitution laws to
reduce medication costs. However,
physicians may override these
regulations by prescribing branded
drugs and requesting that they are
dispensed as written. Patients also
can make these requests. Little is
known about the frequency and
correlates of dispense as written
requests or their association with
medication filling.
METHODS: We identified beneficiaries
of a large pharmacy benefits manager
who submitted a prescription claim
from any pharmacy in January 2009.
We categorized claims as a
physician-assigned dispense as
written, patient-assigned dispense
as written, or no dispense as
written. We described rates of these
requests and used generalized
estimating equations to evaluate
physician, patient, treatment, and
pharmacy characteristics associated
with dispense as written requests.
We also used generalized estimating
equations to assess the relationship
between dispense as written
designation and rates prescriptions
are not filled by patients.
RESULTS: Our sample included 5.6
million prescriptions for more than
2 million patients. More than 2.7%
were designated as dispense as
written by physicians, and 2.0% were
designated as dispense as written by
patients. Substantial variation in
dispense as written requests were
seen by medication class, patient
and physician age, and geographic
region. The odds of requesting
dispense as written was 78.5%
greater for specialists than
generalists (P<;.001). When chronic
prescriptions were initiated,
physician dispense as written (odds
ratio 1.50, P<;.001) and patient
dispense as written (odds ratio
1.60, P<;.001) were associated with
greater odds that patients did not
fill the prescription.
CONCLUSION: Dispense as written
requests were common and associated
with decreased rates of prescription
filling. Options to reduce rates of
dispense as written requests may
reduce costs and improve medication
adherence.