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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Blake C. Burgess, MS, Office of Knowledge Management, Strategic Services and Technology, AdvancePCS, Inc., 9501 East Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale, AZ 85260, (480) 614-7983, blake.burgess@advancepcs.com
The introduction of a prescription drug into a market may have dramatic effects on the usage patterns of the market or class as a whole. There are a number of underlying factors that may contribute to the impact that a new drug may have on a market. In particular, safety and efficacy concerns may play a role in the adoption of a new drug.
Within the Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) market, the initial launch of Nexium is compared to the initial launches of two other PPI market drugs, Protonix and Aciphex. This study uses the AdvancePCS data warehouse which represents the claims of more than 75 million Americans. The time periods for this study involve the first six months of each launch period: Nexium in March 2001; Protonix in May 2000; and Aciphex in September 1999. The patients were grouped into three age groups (0-19, 20-64, and 65+). Within each age group the percent of new patients using the newly launched products was calculated.
An analysis of the data suggests that five months after the introduction of Nexium into the PPI market, Nexium (12.8%) had a much more substantial portion of the market than Protonix (4.1%) or Aciphex (2.4%) had at the same point in their initial launches. The two oldest groups (20-64; 65+) at the five month mark, exhibited similar usage patterns for the newly launched drugs when compared to each other. {Nexium (9.9%; 10.6%) and Protonix (4.3%; 4.2%) or Aciphex (2.5%; 2.2%)} However, a different pattern of use was observed for the 0-19 year old age group. By the fifth month of the Nexium launch, more than 72 percent of people under 20 using PPI’s were using Nexium, whereas by the fifth month of the Protonix or Aciphex launches, only about one percent of people under 20 were using Protonix or Aciphex. Perhaps one explanation for this difference is that virtually all the Nexium patients under 20 are receiving a new prescription for the newly launched drug.
While definite conclusions for the explanation behind the higher usage patterns of Nexium among people under 20 may not be easily ascertained, some interesting questions might be raised. In particular, given potential safety and efficacy concerns regarding adverse reactions to new drugs (Mitrany and Young, 1999), is it acceptable for younger patients to be on newer drugs within a market?
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Drugs, Drug Use Variation
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.