The association between naloxone claims and proportion of independent vs. chain pharmacies: A longitudinal analysis of naloxone claims in the US.
chain pharmacy
dispensing
independent pharmacy
naloxone
Journal
Journal of the American Pharmacists Association : JAPhA
ISSN: 1544-3450
Titre abrégé: J Am Pharm Assoc (2003)
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 101176252
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
09 Apr 2024
09 Apr 2024
Historique:
received:
21
12
2023
revised:
27
03
2024
accepted:
07
04
2024
medline:
12
4
2024
pubmed:
12
4
2024
entrez:
11
4
2024
Statut:
aheadofprint
Résumé
Expanding access to naloxone through pharmacies is an important policy goal. Our objective was to characterize national county-level naloxone dispensing of chain versus independent pharmacies. The primary exposure in our longitudinal analysis was the proportion of chain pharmacies in a county, identified through the US Department of Homeland Security 2010 Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data. We defined counties as having "higher proportion" of chain pharmacies if at least 50% of pharmacies were large national chains. The primary outcome was quarter-year (2016Q1-2019Q2) rate of pharmacy naloxone claims per 100,000 persons from Symphony Health at the county-level. We compared the naloxone dispensing rate between county types using two-sample t-tests. We estimated the association between county-level chain pharmacy proportion and rate of naloxone claims using a linear model with year-quarter fixed effects. Nearly one third of counties (n=946) were higher proportion. Higher proportion counties had a significantly higher rate of naloxone claims across the study period, in 4 of 6 urban-rural classifications, and in counties with and without naloxone access laws. The linear model confirmed that higher proportion counties had a significantly higher rate of naloxone claims, adjusting for urban/rural designation, income, population characteristics, opioid mortality rate, co-prescribing laws and naloxone access laws. In this national study, we found an association between naloxone dispensing rates and the county-level proportion of chain (versus independent) pharmacies. Incentivizing naloxone dispensing through educational, regulatory, or legal efforts may improve naloxone availability and dispensing rates - particularly in counties with proportionately high numbers of independent pharmacies.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Expanding access to naloxone through pharmacies is an important policy goal. Our objective was to characterize national county-level naloxone dispensing of chain versus independent pharmacies.
METHODS
METHODS
The primary exposure in our longitudinal analysis was the proportion of chain pharmacies in a county, identified through the US Department of Homeland Security 2010 Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data. We defined counties as having "higher proportion" of chain pharmacies if at least 50% of pharmacies were large national chains. The primary outcome was quarter-year (2016Q1-2019Q2) rate of pharmacy naloxone claims per 100,000 persons from Symphony Health at the county-level. We compared the naloxone dispensing rate between county types using two-sample t-tests. We estimated the association between county-level chain pharmacy proportion and rate of naloxone claims using a linear model with year-quarter fixed effects.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Nearly one third of counties (n=946) were higher proportion. Higher proportion counties had a significantly higher rate of naloxone claims across the study period, in 4 of 6 urban-rural classifications, and in counties with and without naloxone access laws. The linear model confirmed that higher proportion counties had a significantly higher rate of naloxone claims, adjusting for urban/rural designation, income, population characteristics, opioid mortality rate, co-prescribing laws and naloxone access laws.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
In this national study, we found an association between naloxone dispensing rates and the county-level proportion of chain (versus independent) pharmacies. Incentivizing naloxone dispensing through educational, regulatory, or legal efforts may improve naloxone availability and dispensing rates - particularly in counties with proportionately high numbers of independent pharmacies.
Identifiants
pubmed: 38604474
pii: S1544-3191(24)00113-4
doi: 10.1016/j.japh.2024.102093
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
102093Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.