Evaluation of Patient Assistance Program Eligibility and Availability for Top 200 Brand Name and Generic Drugs in the United States

One strategy to encourage uninsured and underinsured patients’ compliance with medication regimen is to refer them to pharmaceutical industry–sponsored patient assistance programs (PAPs). In order to receive the requested medications, patients should be qualified based on the program eligibility requirements. The purpose of this study was to examine PAP eligibility criteria for the most commonly dispensed prescriptions in the United States. We identified 136 unique chemical entities in the Top 200 drug list and 111 (82%) of these pharmaceutical products were offered by PAPs. Among the available medications, 69 (62%) were brand name; 29 (26%) were generic, and 13 (12%) had both brand name/generic forms. In terms of the availability of types of drugs (brand name vs. generic) provided by PAPs, differences in PAP eligibility requirements were found for citizenship (p < 0.001), permanent residency (p < 0.001), and prescription drug coverage (p< 0.001), but not for income limits (p= 0.051). Overall, PAPs could help low-income patients to obtain necessary medications; however, U.S. citizenship/permanent residency and restriction on prescription coverage are more likely to be required for brand name drugs rather than for generics. PAPs also provide some options for the underinsured and those with private insurance or Medicare Part D plan that offers inadequate prescription coverage

Informal Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Learning Conditions to Increase Parent Involvement With Young Children Experiencing Poverty

Broadening participation in early science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning outside of school is important for families experiencing poverty. We evaluated variations of the Teaching Together STEM pre-kindergarten program for increasing parent involvement in STEM learning. This informal STEM, family engagement program was offered in 20 schools where 92% of students received free/reduced lunch. The core treatment included a series of family education workshops, text messages, and family museum passes. The workshops were delivered at school sites by museum outreach educators. We randomly assigned schools to business-as-usual control or one of three additive treatment groups. Using an additive treatment design, we provided the core program in Treatment A, we added take-home STEM materials in Treatment B, and added materials + parent monetary rewards in Treatment C. The primary outcome was parent involvement in STEM

Evaluation of Patient Assistance Program Eligibility and Availability for Top 200 Brand Name and Generic Drugs in the United States

One strategy to encourage uninsured and underinsured patients' compliance with medication regimen is to refer them to pharmaceutical industry-sponsored patient assistance programs (PAPs). In order to receive the requested medications, patients should be qualified based on the program eligibility requirements. The purpose of this study was to examine PAP eligibility criteria for the most commonly dispensed prescriptions in the United States. We identified 136 unique chemical entities in the Top 200 drug list and 111 (82%) of these pharmaceutical products were offered by PAPs. Among the available medications, 69 (62%) were brand name; 29 (26%) were generic, and 13 (12%) had both brand name/generic forms. In terms of the availability of types of drugs (brand name vs. generic) provided by PAPs, differences in PAP eligibility requirements were found for citizenship (p &lt; 0.001), permanent residency (p &lt; 0.001), and prescription drug coverage (p&lt; 0.001), but not for income limits (p= 0.051). Overall, PAPs could help low-income patients to obtain necessary medications; however, U.S. citizenship/permanent residency and restriction on prescription coverage are more likely to be required for brand name drugs rather than for generics. PAPs also provide some options for the underinsured and those with private insurance or Medicare Part D plan that offers inadequate prescription coverage. &nbsp; Type:&nbsp;Original Researc

Telehealth Evaluation in the United States: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: The rapid expansion of telehealth services, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitates systematic evaluation to guarantee the quality, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of telehealth services and programs in the United States. While numerous evaluation frameworks have emerged, crafted by various stakeholders, their comprehensiveness is limited, and the overall state of telehealth evaluation remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: The overarching goal of this scoping review is to create a comprehensive overview of telehealth evaluation, incorporating perspectives from multiple stakeholder categories. Specifically, we aim to (1) map the existing landscape of telehealth evaluation, (2) identify key concepts for evaluation, (3) synthesize existing evaluation frameworks, and (4) identify measurements and assessments considered in the United States. METHODS: We will conduct this scoping review in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews and in line with the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews). This scoping review will consider documents, including reviews, reports, and white papers, published since January 1, 2019. It will focus on evaluation frameworks and associated measurements of telehealth services and programs in the US health care system, developed by telehealth stakeholders, professional organizations, and authoritative sources, excluding those developed by individual researchers, to collect data that reflect the collective expertise and consensus of experts within the respective professional group. RESULTS: The data extracted from selected documents will be synthesized using tools such as tables and figures. Visual aids like Venn diagrams will be used to illustrate the relationships between the evaluation frameworks from various sources. A narrative summary will be crafted to further describe how the results align with the review objectives, facilitating a comprehensive overview of the findings. This scoping review is expected to conclude by August 2024. CONCLUSIONS: By addressing critical gaps in telehealth evaluation, this scoping review protocol lays the foundation for a comprehensive and multistakeholder assessment of telehealth services and programs. Its findings will inform policy makers, health care providers, researchers, and other stakeholders in advancing the quality, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of telehealth in the US health care system. TRIAL REGISTRATION: OSF Registries osf.io/aytus; https://osf.io/aytus. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/55209

Does the use of home blood pressure monitoring vary by race, education, and income?

OBJECTIVE: Home blood pressure (BP) monitors are commonly recommended for patients with hypertension, but little is known about their utilizations among different racial/ethnic groups. The objective of this study was to investigate if racial differences existed in the utilization of home BP monitoring devices. DESIGN: A voluntary and self-administered survey study. SETTING: Community pharmacies in the Greater Houston metropolitan areas, Texas, United States. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects were recruited from community pharmacies if they were aged > or = 18 years and received a prescription drug for hypertension. INTERVENTIONS: Each participant was given informed consent to complete a survey that consisted of questions about patient demographics and BP self-monitoring behavior. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary measures were the use of home BP monitors and the patient's knowledge of BP monitoring. RESULTS: A total of 987 pharmacy customers were approached, of whom 834 patients agreed to participate (34.3% African Americans, 33.3% Whites, and 28.9% Hispanics). We found no association between race and BP monitor utilization. Patients with less education and lower income were associated with lesser use of BP monitors (P=.04 and P<.01 respectively). Patients with higher education and higher incomes were more knowledgeable about how to monitor BP at home. (P<.01). CONCLUSION: This study found that the utilization of BP monitors was not different among races. Patients with lower education level and less income were associated with less home BP monitor use. Further studies to investigate the adherence to home BP monitor use and intervention to overcome barriers to self-monitoring is needed

Evaluation of Rational Use of Medications in the United States

Rational medication use means taking medication appropriately for curing and relieving the symptoms of disease on the basis of evidence and sound judgment. We compare US policy experience on rational use of medications with the World Health Organization (WHO) list of interventions designed to promote such use. Current US performance and educational, managerial, and regulatory interventions to improve it are discussed. We conclude that, while most of the WHO guidelines for rational medication use are practiced in some form in one or more of the various US health care subsystems today, overall performance based on outcomes is not comparable with that of other industrialized countries. This is due to the absence of a national drug policy, the presence of a few strong stakeholders with committed policy preferences, and the altogether fragmented character of the US state and federal health systems. Practical suggestions are offered as to how the US could improve its overall less-than-optimal policies on rational medication use