Physician-pharmacy integration and oral cancer drug use and quality.

Authors

null

Pragya Kakani

Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Organizations

Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Research Funding

U.S. National Institutes of Health
U.S. National Institutes of Health

Background: Public reports suggest increasing integration of in-house specialty pharmacies by independent and system-based oncology practices. Understanding the impact of such integration has important implications for state-level regulations limiting physicians’ ability to launch pharmacies in certain states and policies governing pharmacy network design. In this analysis, I document the growth of in-house pharmacies and estimate the impact of this growth on oral cancer drug use and quality. Methods: I used 2006-2017 data from Medicare Fee-for-Service and Part D claims, pharmacy names and characteristics from health plan pharmacy network lists and the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, and a unique Health System and Practice Dataset, developed by National Bureau of Economic Research and Harvard University researchers, that tracks practice ownership relationships. I first linked physician organizations and pharmacies that they operate using a novel claims-based algorithm combining information on pharmacy characteristics, similarities in names of practices and pharmacies, and the share of total pharmacy spending attributable to a single practice or system. I then used an event study approach to compare oral oncolytic use and quality at practices launching a pharmacy between 2009 to 2014 compared with matched controls. Outcomes included total spending on oral oncolytics, use of oral drugs when an intravenous equivalent exists (capecitabine and 5-fluoruracil), timeliness of new prescription fills (# days from first fill to last office visit), medication adherence, and early discontinuation of lenalidomide, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, aromatase inhibitors, tamoxifen, enzalutamide, and abiraterone. Results: The number of independent or system-based oncology practices with an in-house pharmacy filling any oncology prescriptions increased from 135 in 2006 to 442 in 2017. In that time, the share of Medicare Part D spending on oral oncolytics filled at in-house pharmacies increased from 4% in 2006 to 27% in 2017. The launch of an in-house pharmacy was not associated with an overall increase in spending on oral oncolytics, but was associated with a 4.5 percentage point (p =.01) increase in the use of capecitabine relative to 5-fluorouracil, within 2 years of launch. In-house pharmacies were associated with a modest decrease in the time to fill an initial prescription (2.4 days, p <.001) within 2 years of launch, but no improvements in adherence or reductions in early discontinuation. Conclusions: There has been substantial growth in the use of in-house pharmacies in oncology in recent years. Having an in-house pharmacy only had modest effects on cost and quality. Policymakers should therefore approach claims that in-house pharmacies meaningfully impact cost and quality with caution.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2021 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Poster Session A: Cost, Value, and Policy; Health Equity and Disparities; Patient Experience

Track

Cost, Value, and Policy,Technology and Innovation in Quality of Care,Health Care Access, Equity, and Disparities,Patient Experience,Quality, Safety, and Implementation Science

Sub Track

Organizational and Operational Issues

Citation

J Clin Oncol 39, 2021 (suppl 28; abstr 39)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2020.39.28_suppl.39

Abstract #

39

Poster Bd #

B12

Abstract Disclosures

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