HOPE Center Study Finds Geographic Variations in Prevalance of High-Risk Medication Use

College of Pharmacy and HOPE Center investigators David Rhys Axon, PhD, MPharm, MS and Terri Warholak, PhD, RPh co-authored a study published recently in the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy. This retrospective database study titled Geographic variation in the prevalence of high-risk medication use analyzed data from eligible beneficiaries in a 5% national Medicare sample (2011-2013) to estimate adjusted annual high-risk medication (HRM) use rates across 306 hospital regions. Results indicated substantial geographic variation in the prevalence of HRM use among older adults regardless of prescription drug plan. This study raises awareness of the areas of high prevalence of HRM use which may benefit from targeted interventions to prevent adverse events.

Additional authors include College of Pharmacy Health & Pharmaceutical Outcomes Program alumnus Chanadda Chinthammit, BPharm, MS, PHD, with former faculty Marion Slack, PhD, Sandipan Bhattacharjee, BPharm, MS, PhD, and Wei-Hsuan “Jenny” Lo-Ciganic, PhD, and colleagues John Bentley, PhD, and Debbie Wilson, PhD.