The role of integrated medical and prescription drug plans in addressing racial and ethnic disparities in medication adherence

Medication nonadherence in the United States contributes to 125,000 deaths and 10% of hospitalizations annually. The pain of preventable deaths and the personal costs of nonadherence are borne disproportionately by Black, Latino, and other minority groups because nonadherence is higher in these grou...

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Published in:Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy 2022-03, Vol.28 (3), p.379-386
Main Authors: Ding, Alexander, Dixon, Suzanne W, Ferries, Erin A, Shrank, William H
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Medication nonadherence in the United States contributes to 125,000 deaths and 10% of hospitalizations annually. The pain of preventable deaths and the personal costs of nonadherence are borne disproportionately by Black, Latino, and other minority groups because nonadherence is higher in these groups due to a variety of factors. These factors include socioeconomic challenges, issues with prescription affordability and convenience of filling and refilling them, lack of access to pharmacies and primary care services, difficulty taking advantage of patient engagement opportunities, health literacy limitations, and lack of trust due to historical and structural discrimination outside of and within the medical system. Solutions to address the drivers of lower medication adherence, specifically in minority populations, are needed to improve population outcomes and reduce inequities. While various solutions have shown some traction, these solutions have tended to be challenging to scale for wider impact. We propose that integrated medical and pharmacy plans are well positioned to address racial and ethnic health disparities related to medication adherence. Patients not taking their prescribed prescription medications can result in unnecessary sickness and death. This cost and preventable progression of disease disproportionately affects minorities. The underlying reasons for this are complex, and solutions that have shown promise have had challenges scaling. We propose that integrated (ie, combined) medical and drug plans, due to their incentive structures, are well positioned to be one scalable solution to this health equity problem.
ISSN:2376-0540
2376-1032
DOI:10.18553/jmcp.2022.28.3.379