Assessing the role of patient support services on adherence rates in patients using glatiramer acetate for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Objective:

To assess predictors of achievement of 80% Medication Possession Ratio (MPR) in patients receiving manufacturer-provided self-management services for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients taking glatiramer acetate (Copaxone).

Methods:

De-identified patient records were selected for study inclusion if patients had been (1) continuously enrolled in one or more aspects of the self-management program for a minimum of 24 months and had adherence measured by MPR between the values of zero and one. Baseline patient univariate measures were assessed using chi-squared statistics for categorical variables and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for continuous variables. Bivariate logistic regression models were used to assess predictors of 80% MPR.

Results:

A total of 5825 patients met the study inclusion criteria. About 70% of patients received manufacturer-provided injection training and 75% were eligible for, and utilized, copayment assistance; 74.3% of patients accessing sponsor provided support achieved a desired MPR of greater than or equal to 80%. Patients were 40% more likely to reach goal if injection training was provided by the manufacturer (OR = 1.435; 95% CI = 1.258–1.636) and were 30.6% more likely to achieve goal when eligible patients utilized copayment assistance programs (OR = 1.306; 95% CI = 1.109–1.570). Patients reinitiating treatment were at risk of lower adherence rates (OR = 0.605; CI = 0.476–0.769) compared to those who were new to therapy.

Conclusions:

Manufacturer-provided patient support programs improve adherence to glatiramer acetate therapy.

Keywords::

• Health promotion
• Medication adherence
• Nurses’ role
• Multiple sclerosis

Transparency

Declaration of funding

Funding for the study was provided by Teva Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Teva provided salaries to the four authors whose involvement in the study was consistent with authorship guidelines advanced in the ICMJE guidelines. No investigators external to Teva were involved in any aspect of the study.

Declaration of financial/other relationships

All investigators are employees of Teva Pharmaceutical, Inc. None of the authors have significant relationships beyond their employment with Teva.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to graciously acknowledge the many skilled professionals within the Shared Solutions program who support multiple sclerosis patients within the US and whose efforts generated the data that made the analysis of the impact of these services on patient adherence possible. The authors would also like to thank the many other Teva associates within and external to the Health Economic and Outcomes Research team who were involved in the editorial review of the article.