Generic statins increase adherence, improve outcomes

When it comes to statin adherence, cost matters. A 6 percent greater adherence was seen in patients using generic statins compared with patients on brand-name drugs, according to a study published Sept. 16 in Annals of Internal Medicine.

As concerns about affordability may influence whether or not a patient consistently takes prescribed medications, the research team led by Joshua J. Gagne, PharmD, ScD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, sought to determine if generic statin use led to better adherence and outcomes for patients over name-brand drugs.

They used Medicare and CVS Caremark data on filed and filled prescriptions for initial prescriptions of lovastatin (Mevacor, Merck), pravastatin (Prevachol, Bristol-Myers Squibb) or simvastatin (Zocor, Merck) to track 90,111 patients, 93 percent of whom were prescribed generic versions of the statins.

They found that patients who were prescribed generic versions of brand-name drugs not only adhered better (77 percent vs 71 percent), but also did better. Patients taking generic statins had an 8 percent reduction in the rate of all-cause mortality and hospitalizations for acute coronary syndrome or stroke. These patients also had 1.53 fewer events per 100 patient years than patients on brand-name drugs.

Gagne et al noted there was a $38 per filled prescription difference in out-of-pocket expenses between generic and brand-name drugs.

However, this led some to wonder why adherence was not even greater among patients taking generic drugs. Walter Cullen, MD, and Patrick Murray, MD of the University College Dublin School of Medicine and Medical Science in Ireland, wrote in an editorial that while they found these results heartening, more patients need to be assured that generic drugs are as safe and effective as their brand-name counterparts.

“Gagne and colleagues highlight that prescribing generic statins is a relatively simple intervention to improve adherence among eligible patients. Ample evidence supports the benefit of statins for secondary prevention, and maximizing this benefit while managing drug costs is a priority,” Cullen and Murray stated.

This study was funded by Teva Pharmaceuticals. 

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