Prevalence of drug-related problems and cost-savings opportunities in medicaid high utilizers identified by a pharmacist-run drug regimen review center.

BACKGROUND Despite numerous reports of state Medicaid drug utilization review (DUR) programs, little data are available about the prevalence of drugrelated problems (DRPs) in Medicaid patients. A university-based, pharmacist-run DUR program for high utilizers was created as an alternative to imposition of a statutory limit of 7 medications per month in the Utah Medicaid program in 2002. The DUR program was designed to suggest ways that high-utilizing patients could decrease their total number of medications to 7 or fewer prior to imposition of the 7-medication limit at some time in the future. OBJECTIVE To describe the experience in 1 Medicaid DUR program and to report the prevalence of DRPs and cost-saving opportunities (CSOs) among a population of Medicaid recipients who were high utilizers of prescription drugs. METHODS DRPs were identified by 5 clinical pharmacists employed by the Drug Regimen Review Center (DRRC) in Salt Lake City. The purpose of the center was to provide drug therapy review services for a select number of Utah Medicaid recipients (200-300 per month) who exceeded a 7-medication limit during the calendar years 2003 and 2004. RESULTS Out of 391,890 eligible Medicaid recipients, 242,411 (62%) received at least 1 medication, and 16,958 (4.3%) exceeded the 7-medication limit during the review period. Of those exceeding the limit, the DRRC reviewed a total of 3,706 (21.9%) patients, representing the highest utilizers by volume of medication. The prevalence of DRPs considered clinically important in the review cohort was 79.7% of patients, including therapeutic duplications in 54.6% of patients, dose form optimization in 29.7%, and inappropriate uncoordinated care in 25.3%. The average pharmacy cost per month for patients with at least 1 DRP was 1,081 dollars; by contrast, the average pharmacy cost per month for all other patients receiving at least 1 prescription was 91 dollars. CONCLUSIONS Approximately 4% of Medicaid recipients exceeded the 7-medication monthly limit. Among the 22% highest utilizers in this group, 48% of nursing home residents and 87% of ambulatory recipients had at least 1 DRP, or an overall rate of 80% of high-use Medicaid recipients or as much as 3.2% of the Medicaid population.