Study finds lower copays for chronic conditions lead to increased compliance

PHILADELPHIA A new study published in the January/February 2008 issue of Health Affairs, which was funded by GlaxoSmithKline, discovered that reduced prescription copayments leads to increase in the chance of a patient continually taking his/her medication for a chronic disease.

The medicines and chronic conditions studied were:

• Heart Disease: angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and beta-blockers
• Diabetes: medications including oral therapies and insulin
• High Cholesterol: statins
• Asthma: inhaled corticosteroids

Copayment rates for generic medications were reduced from $5 to $0; copayments for branded drugs were cut in half. A similar employer with identical disease management offerings and similar but stable copayments served as a control group.

Among the key findings of the study:

• There was a statistically significant improvement in adherence for heart disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
• The results were achieved in addition to the effects of existing disease management programs.
• Value based insurance design programs can effectively increase adherence to important medications and complement existing disease management programs.

“We must encourage patients to take medications as prescribed for these chronic conditions, and encourage employers to support the health management efforts of their workers,” said Mark Fendrick, a coauthor of the study. “As a nation, we must look at the healthcare continuum, focusing on prevention to keep people healthier, giving patients the right treatments to maintain their health, and continuing the search for new cures.”

This study will be connected to other studies that have shown that increasing copays decrease use of medications for chronic conditions.