Noncompliance in the use of cardiovascular medications in the Medicare Part D population.

Objectives: (1) to assess non-compliance among Medicare Part D recipients for the cardiovascular medication classes; (2) to identify the probability of noncompliance for each medication class when controlling for the potential risk factors of age, gender, race/ethnic origin, census region, disease burden, dual eligibility enrollment status, Part D plan status, relative out-of-pocket (OOP) non-class costs, and relative OOP daily class costs.

Design: Cross sectional retrospective review of 2007 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Part D data. All drugs within a drug class were used to conduct the assessment.

Applying the 2003 Beers update to elderly Medicare enrollees in the Part D program.

Background: Inappropriate prescribing of certain medications known as Beers drugs may be harmful to the elderly, because the potential risk for an adverse outcome outweighs the potential benefit.

Objectives: (1) To assess Beers drug use in dual enrollees compared to non-duals; (2) to explore the association between dual enrollment status and Beers use, controlling for the effects of age, gender, race/ethnicity, census region, and health status; (3) to assess which medication therapeutic category had the highest Beers use.

Design: Cross sectional retrospective review of 2007 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service Part D data.

National study of prescription poisoning with psychoactive and nonpsychoactive medications in Medicare/Medicaid dual enrollees age 65 or over.

The purpose of this study is to assess prescription medication poisoning among psychoactive and nonpsychoactive medications used by elderly (65 years or older) Medicare & Medicaid dual enrollees as well as examine contextual components associated with poisoning. Our primary research goal was to compare medication poisonings among psychoactive medications to nonpsychoactive medications. Our second research goal was to identify components influencing medication poisonings and how they interrelate.

National study of medications associated with injury in elderly Medicare/Medicaid dual enrollees during 2003.

Objectives: To address the association between inappropriate prescribing for the elderly and adverse outcomes and to identify the magnitude of the cost of medication-associated injury in this population.

Design: Cross sectional.

Setting: United States, 2003.