Antipsychotic medication prescription patterns and associated medical costs for UEMBMI patients with schizophrenia in Tianjin,China
10.3969/j.issn.1000-6729.2015.11.001
- VernacularTitle:天津市城镇职工基本医疗保险精神分裂症患者抗精神病药的使用情况及其医疗费用
- Author:
Xingxing YAO
;
Jing WU
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
schizophrenia;
antipsychotic medication;
prescription pattern;
medical cost
- From:
Chinese Mental Health Journal
2015;(11):801-805
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To describe antipsychotic medication prescription patterns and estimate the associated costs for patients with schizophrenia in Tianjin,China. Methods:Data were 30%random sampling from the Tianjin Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI)database. Adult patients with≥ 1 diagnosis of schizophrenia, antipsychotics prescribed at the first diagnosis of schizophrenia (index date),and 12-month continuous enrollment after the first antipsychotic prescription (follow-up period)between 2008 and 2010 were included. The classes and number of antipsychotics patients prescribed at index date and patterns of antipsychotics patients maintained/changed during the study period were described. The total direct medical costs were also estimated. Results:Among 2125 patients with schizophrenia,1739 (81. 8%)prescribed with antipsychotic medication prescriptions were in-cluded. At the index date,1461 (84. 0%)of the patients prescribed with one antipsychotic medication,278 (16. 0%)with more than two antipsychotics,and 747 (43. 0%)were prescribed with first-generation antipsychot-ics,813 (46. 8%)with second-generation antipsychotics and 179 (10. 2%)with both. During the following 12 months,1387 (79. 8%)patients remained on the index antipsychotic class. The total cost for 1739 patients was (12498. 9 ±14575. 2)CNY. The total direct medical cost was significantly lower for patients only prescribed with second-generation antipsychotics compared with ones only with first-generation antipsychotics [(9064. 1 ±13209. 8) CNY vs. (1 1928. 6 ±13767. 4)CNY,P<0. 001 ]. In addition,the cost for patients prescribed with first-generation and second-generation antipsychotics was 18821. 8 ±15702. 7 CNY. Conclusion:Majority of patients are prescribed with monotherapy,and tend to stay with one antipsychotic medication class. The total medical cost for patients with second-generation antipsychotic medications is lower than first-generation ones.
