26 Nov Diabetes: Mail Order Pharmacy Safety and Effectiveness

Posted at 05:54h in Cost of Health Care, Diabetes, Diabetes Care by

dr_julie_a_schmittdielMedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Julie A. Schmittdiel, PhD
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
2000 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94612


MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?

Dr. Schmittdiel: We found that patients with diabetes who used mail order pharmacy were less likely to visit the emergency room than those who did not use mail order pharmacy during a 3 year follow-up period. We also did not see safety concerns associated with mail order pharmacy for most diabetes patients.
MedicalResearch.com: Were any of the findings unexpected?

Dr. Schmittdiel: Our previous research has shown mail order pharmacy is associated with better medication adherence and higher rates of LDL cholesterol control, so were were not surprised to see that mail order pharmacy was associated with more downstream health care outcomes such as lower emergency room visit rates.

MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Schmittdiel: Mail order pharmacy use may help improve outcomes for patients with diabetes, potentially by increasing their ease of access to heart medications shown to improve patient health. Clinicians and patients who might benefit from mail order should be encouraged to consider this option for diabetes medication management, while also respecting patient choice and preference for type of pharmacy use.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Schmittdiel: Future research should explore the best way to encourage mail order pharmacy use in a way that preserves patient choice and options.

Citation:

Safety and Effectiveness of Mail Order Pharmacy Use in Diabetes

Julie A. Schmittdiel, PhD; Andrew J. Karter, PhD; Wendy T. Dyer, MS; James Chan, PharmD, PhD; and O. Kenrik Duru, MD, MSHS. Safety and Effectiveness of Mail Order Pharmacy Use in Diabetes. American Journal of Managed Care., November 2013

Last Updated on February 25, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

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