Retrospective claims data analysis of ASCT characteristics and costs for working-age, multiple myeloma patients in the US, 2017-2019.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a rare hematologic malignancy with a 5-year survival rate of 52 %. For transplant-eligible MM patients, high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) is recommended. Given the complexities of the ASCT procedure, understanding patient-specific factors and their impact on treatment decisions is essential.

Why the increase? Examining the rise in prescription medication expenditures in the United States between 2011 and 2020.

The objective of this cross-sectional analysis was to identify determinants of increasing medicine expenditures in the US between 2011 and 2020. Prescription medication expenditures from the 2011-2020 Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS) were used to calculate total annual medication expenditures by payer categories (Out-of-pocket, Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE/Veterans Administration/CHAMPVA (TVAC), Other Government Sources, Private Insurance, and Other Sources). From here, expenditures were stratified by therapeutic category using Multum Lexicon Drug Class to examine trends in expenditures by therapeutic area.

Regional Variation in Opioid-Related Emergency Medical Services Transfers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted public infrastructure and healthcare utilization. However, regional variation in opioid-related harm secondary to COVID-19 remains poorly understood. This study aimed to measure the regional variation in the association between stay-at-home orders (SAHOs) and nonfatal opioid-related emergency medical services (EMS) transfers in the United States.