PQS Trend Report Examines Socio-Demographic and Utilization Factors Related to Medication Adherence

DURHAM, N.C., December 4, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Pharmacy Quality Solutions (PQS), a leading provider of performance management services, released its 2023 Industry Trend Report in Pharmacy Quality. This year’s report underscores the impact that socio-demographic factors could have on performance, further supporting the need for tailored patient solutions utilizing pharmacy to drive positive changes.

The Trend Report aims to provide stakeholders with evolving trends in quality for medication use. Through detailed data analysis, PQS provides insights to support informed decision making within the healthcare sector and delivery of performance strategies. This year’s trend report examines the influence of socio-demographic and utilization factors on medication adherence measure rates, offering valuable insights for healthcare industry stakeholders seeking to enhance medication quality strategies using pharmacy claims data.

In the first chapter, the trend report focuses on the impact of socio-demographic factors, including age, gender, and low-income subsidy (LIS) status, on adherence rates for Cholesterol, Diabetes, and Renin Angiotensin System Antagonists (RASA) Proportion of Days Covered (PDC) measures.

Andrew Thorne, Director of Analytics and Program Development at PQS, highlights that across all three PDC measures, performance tends to be slightly lower for patients who are eligible for low-income subsidy. Thorne notes, “Our findings suggest that economic status may have a more pronounced impact than variables such as age and gender.”

The next chapter of the report highlights how adherence can be impacted by factors such as drug switching within a measurement year and the utilization of extended fills. Extended fill utilization had the most noteworthy difference for the Diabetes PDC measure, where there is a performance rate difference exceeding 20% between extended fill and only non-extended fill scenarios.

Beyond these insights, the 2023 Trend Report underscores the importance of medication adherence and the methods used for its measurement. By presenting a review of the performance differences in medication adherence, PQS aims to empower quality stakeholders and advocates with the knowledge to enhance medication quality and ultimately, patient health outcomes.

To download the trend report to access the full insights, please visit https://www.pharmacyquality.com.

About Pharmacy Quality Solutions, Inc. (PQS)

PQS aligns healthcare payers and pharmacies to achieve their shared goals of better patient outcomes and healthcare quality performance. As a neutral, trusted intermediary supporting the evolution of value-based care, PQS facilitates nationwide pharmacy-based care through our partners and the EQUIPP^® platform. Utilizing deep clinical pharmacy knowledge and over a decade of performance management experience, PQS helps clients develop strategies, implement quality improvement programs, and optimize the quality of healthcare for their Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial populations. For more information on how PQS can support you, please visit www.pharmacyquality.com.

Source: Pharmacy Quality Solutions, Inc.