Use of select medications prior to duloxetine initiation among commercially-insured patients Full Text
Journal of Pain Research, 08/17/2012
Clinical Article
Bernauer M et al. – Patients used several types of medications over the 12 months prior to initiating duloxetine across disease states, with antidepressants and opioids being the most frequently used medications. Trends of select medication use were similar over time.
Methods- Commercially insured duloxetine initiators between January 1, 2007 and March 31, 2010 were identified from a large US administrative claims database. Disease subgroups were constructed based on diagnosis from medical claims during the 12 months prior to duloxetine initiation.
- Prior use of antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids, nonsteroidal anti–inflammatory drugs, and muscle relaxants was assessed during the 12–month preinitiation period.
- This study identified 56,845 (2007), 44,838 (2008), and 65,840 (January 2009 to March 2010) duloxetine initiators.
- Among the 2009 initiators, utilization patterns were similar for patients with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, with antidepressants being the most used (84% and 80%, respectively), followed by opioids (58% and 55%, respectively).
- Patients across pain–related conditions also had similar utilization patterns, with opioid use being the highest (76%–82%), followed by antidepressants (65%–72%).
- Use of other medication classes was common (29%–63%) but less frequent, and over 50% of the patients used any antidepressants, 70% used any antidepressants or anticonvulsants, and 90% used any antidepressants, anticonvulsants, or opioids.
- Trends in the use of these select medications were similar between 2007 and 2009.
