Express Scripts FoundationResearch & Consumerology
Generics Superior First-Line Antidepressant Therapy
A March 2011 article, "Discontinuation Rates and Health Care Costs in Adult Patients Starting Generic Versus Brand SSRI or SNRI Antidepressants in Commercial Health Plans," recently won an important annual award for its strong contribution to the industry's knowledge about clinical and cost comparability of generic and brand antidepressants. The article, authored by Express Scripts researchers, won the prestigious Award for Excellence from the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy.
Relevance to Managed Care Pharmacy
"This article was selected for the 2011 Award because of its high relevance to managed care pharmacy in the study of clinical and cost outcomes in the important therapeutic area of major depressive disorder," said AMCP Chief Executive Officer Edith A. Rosato, RPh, IOM. "This study adds to our knowledge of the clinical comparability of generic and brand antidepressants and supports fundamental managed care interventions including therapeutic selection, step therapy, and prior authorization."
Depression is a major cause of disability in the United States and accounts for more than $83 billion in costs annually, according to the Express Scripts 2009 Drug Trend Report. Experts have long advocated that using generics could reduce pharmacy costs for healthcare payers, without leading to treatment failure or increased medical costs in the short term.
Generic Drugs Offer Significant Savings
In the study, patients starting generic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and generic selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) had a discontinuation rate of 44.2 %, compared to 46.8 % among those on brand-name SSRIs and SNRIs. However, drug costs for those starting on generics were almost 50 percent lower. Total healthcare costs were about 20 percent lower — an average of $3,660 in patients starting on a generic compared to $4,587 for those starting on a brand-name drug.
Optimal Outcomes at Lower Costs
Extremely proud of the team's cooperative approach, Sharon Frazee, vice president of research remarked, "This article again validates the value proposition of Express Scripts. It provides research-based and clinical evidence that pharmacy-benefit programs that promote the use of generics enable optimal clinical outcomes at lower costs to plan sponsors and members." Congratulations to the authors: Anna Vlahiotis, MA; Scott T. Devine, PhD; Jeff Eichholz, PharmD; and Adam Kautzner, PharmD.
Learn more about the JMCP Award for Excellence.
