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Pentavalent vaccine reduces rotavirus-associated healthcare use and cost in children less than 5 years of age
Diarrhea-associated healthcare utilization and treatment costs for US children <5 years of age
Diarrhea-associated healthcare utilization and treatment costs for US children <5 years of age have decreased dramatically since the routine use of pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5) began in 2006, according to results of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, September 22, 2011.
In the study, researchers assessed the extent of RV5 use in children <5 years of age and correlated its use to changes in diarrhea-associated healthcare utilization between July 2001-June 2006 (pre-vaccine licensure) and July 2007-June 2009 (post-licensure).
In a cohort of approximately 300,000 eligible children from 37 states obtained from the MarketScan database, researchers found 32% of children (73% of those <1 year of age, 64% of 1-year-olds, and 8% among 2-to-4-year-olds) had received at least 1 dose of RV5 by the end of 2008, with usage steadily rising over time.
Reflecting upon their results, the researchers noted, "Our findings confirm other reports of a decline in rotavirus activity in the United States after the introduction of rotavirus vaccine."
They continued, "The observed 89% reduction in the most specific outcome, rotavirus-coded hospitalizations, in vaccinated children as compared with unvaccinated children is consistent with the efficacy of the vaccine in pre-licensure trials."
TREATMENT COSTS
Prior research suggests that the total medical treatment cost of rotavirus diarrhea was about $300 million per year prior to the introduction of RV5 in 2006. Based upon the reductions in hospitalizations observed in this current study (estimated avoidance of nearly 65,000 rotavirus hospitalizations), the researchers estimated a savings of $278 million in hospitalization costs over the 2-year study period due to the increase in RV5 use.
SOURCE
Cortes JE, Curns AT, Tate JE, et al. Rotavirus vaccine and health care utilization for diarrhea in U.S. children. N Engl J Med. 2011; 365:1108–1117.
Coalition promotes important acetaminophen dosing reminders
November 18th 2014It may come as a surprise that each year Americans catch approximately 1 billion colds, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 20% get the flu. This cold and flu season, 7 in 10 patients will reach for an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine to treat their coughs, stuffy noses, and sniffles. It’s an important time of the year to remind patients to double check their medicine labels so they don’t double up on medicines containing acetaminophen.
Support consumer access to specialty medications through value-based insurance design
June 30th 2014The driving force behind consumer cost-sharing provisions for specialty medications is the acquisition cost and not clinical value. This appears to be true for almost all public and private health plans, says a new report from researchers at the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID Center) and the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC).
Management of antipsychotic medication polypharmacy
June 13th 2013Within our healthcare-driven society, the increase in the identification and diagnosis of mental illnesses has led to a proportional increase in the prescribing of psychotropic medications. The prevalence of mental illnesses and subsequent treatment approaches may employ monotherapy as first-line treatment, but in many cases the use of combination of therapy can occur, leading to polypharmacy.1 Polypharmacy can be defined in several ways but it generally recognized as the use of multiple medications by one patient and the most common definition is the concurrent use of five more medications. The presence of polyharmacy has the potential to contribute to non-compliance, drug-drug interactions, medication errors, adverse events, or poor quality of life.
Medical innovation improves outcomes
June 12th 2013I have been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the pancreas, a disease that’s long been considered not just incurable, but almost impossible to treat-a recalcitrant disease that some practitioners feel has given oncology a bad name. I was told my life would be measured in weeks.
