Outcome evaluation of a pharmacy‐based therapy management program for patients with cystic fibrosis

OBJECTIVE: To compare medication adherence, pulmonary exacerbations, healthcare utilization, and costs for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who utilized a pharmacy‐based therapy management program to a matched control group. We hypothesized that patient management services would be associated with better medication adherence, and thus require fewer visits to the emergency room or hospitalizations. METHODS: This retrospective, observational cohort study used claims data from the MORE(2) claims Registry®. The sample consisted of CF patients, aged 6+, who had ≥1 pharmacy claim for inhaled tobramycin, inhaled aztreonam, ivacaftor, or dornase alfa from 6/2/2014‐5/31/2015. Adherence was measured as proportion of days covered (PDC). Propensity score matching and multivariable regression techniques were used to compare outcomes in program participants to matched controls. RESULTS: Of the 236 intervention and 724 control patients meeting selection criteria, 202 were propensity‐matched from each cohort. Relative to the control cohort, program patients had 23% higher mean PDC for tobramycin (IRR = 1.23, P = 0.01) and were twice as likely to be adherent to tobramycin (PDC ≥ 80%) than matched controls (OR = 2.14, P = 0.04). Program patients had fewer ER visits (IRR = 0.52, P < 0.01) and slightly lower ER costs (IRR = 0.66, P = 0.06) than the control patients. CONCLUSION: A pharmacy‐based therapy management program for CF patients was associated with higher adherence to inhaled tobramycin and lower ER rates. Pharmacies that provide therapy management can support effective CF care management.