TY - JOUR
T1 - Economic burden associated with the use of generic antiepileptic drugs in the United States
AU - Helmers, Sandra L.
AU - Paradis, Pierre Emmanuel
AU - Manjunath, Ranjani
AU - Duh, Mei Sheng
AU - Lafeuille, Marie Hélène
AU - Latrémouille-Viau, Dominick
AU - Lefebvre, Patrick
AU - Labiner, David M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA. GSK, through its author listed on the research, has participated in the design, review, and approval of the article. S.L.H. and D.M.L. received no compensation for their participation in this study. P.E.P., M.S.D., M.H.L., D.L.V., and P.L. are employees of Analysis Group, Inc. (in Canada: Groupe d'analyse, Ltée), which has received research grants from GSK. R.M. is an employee of GSK.
PY - 2010/8
Y1 - 2010/8
N2 - This study quantifies the economic burden associated with generic-versus-branded use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in the United States. Adult patients with epilepsy receiving carbamazepine, gabapentin, phenytoin, primidone, or zonisamide were selected from the PharMetrics database. By use of an open-cohort design, patients were classified into mutually exclusive periods of generic-versus-branded AED use. Annualized cost differences (CDs) between periods were estimated using multivariate regressions. Results were stratified into stable versus unstable epilepsy and newer-generation versus older-generation AEDs. A total of 33,625 patients (52% male, mean age. = 51 years) were observed. Periods of generic AED treatment were associated with higher medical service costs (adjusted CD [95% CI]. = $3186 [$2359; $4012]), stable pharmacy costs ($69 [$-34; $171]), and greater total costs ($3254 [$2403; $4105]) versus brand use. Epilepsy-related costs represented 30% of incremental costs. Similar findings were observed for patients with stable and unstable epilepsy and users of newer-generation and older-generation AEDs. Significantly higher health care costs were observed during generic AED use across seizure control and AED subgroups.
AB - This study quantifies the economic burden associated with generic-versus-branded use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in the United States. Adult patients with epilepsy receiving carbamazepine, gabapentin, phenytoin, primidone, or zonisamide were selected from the PharMetrics database. By use of an open-cohort design, patients were classified into mutually exclusive periods of generic-versus-branded AED use. Annualized cost differences (CDs) between periods were estimated using multivariate regressions. Results were stratified into stable versus unstable epilepsy and newer-generation versus older-generation AEDs. A total of 33,625 patients (52% male, mean age. = 51 years) were observed. Periods of generic AED treatment were associated with higher medical service costs (adjusted CD [95% CI]. = $3186 [$2359; $4012]), stable pharmacy costs ($69 [$-34; $171]), and greater total costs ($3254 [$2403; $4105]) versus brand use. Epilepsy-related costs represented 30% of incremental costs. Similar findings were observed for patients with stable and unstable epilepsy and users of newer-generation and older-generation AEDs. Significantly higher health care costs were observed during generic AED use across seizure control and AED subgroups.
KW - Antiepileptic drugs
KW - Economic analysis
KW - Epilepsy
KW - Generic substitution
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77955566008&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77955566008&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.yebeh.2010.05.015
DO - 10.1016/j.yebeh.2010.05.015
M3 - Article
C2 - 20580619
AN - SCOPUS:77955566008
SN - 1525-5050
VL - 18
SP - 437
EP - 444
JO - Epilepsy and Behavior
JF - Epilepsy and Behavior
IS - 4
ER -