Pharmaceutical Cost Management in an Ambulatory Setting Using a Risk Adjustment Tool

Background Pharmaceutical expenditure is undergoing very high growth, and accounts for 30% of overall healthcare expenditure in Spain. In this paper we present a prediction model for primary health care pharmaceutical expenditure based on Clinical Risk Groups (CRG), a system that classifies individu...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Vivas-Consuelo, David|||0000-0003-2945-7525, Guadalajara Olmeda, María Natividad|||0000-0002-5992-3446, Usó Talamantes, Ruth, Trillo Mata, José Luis, Sancho Mestre, Carla, Buigues Pastor, Laia
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2014
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
Repositorio:RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:riunet.upv.es:10251/62569
Acceso en línea:https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/62569
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Risk adjustment
Predictive models
Pharmaceutical expenditure
Chronic condition
Clinical Risk Groups
Capitation Payments
ECONOMIA, SOCIOLOGIA Y POLITICA AGRARIA
ECONOMIA APLICADA
ECONOMIA FINANCIERA Y CONTABILIDAD
Descripción
Sumario:Background Pharmaceutical expenditure is undergoing very high growth, and accounts for 30% of overall healthcare expenditure in Spain. In this paper we present a prediction model for primary health care pharmaceutical expenditure based on Clinical Risk Groups (CRG), a system that classifies individuals into mutually exclusive categories and assigns each person to a severity level if s/he has a chronic health condition. This model may be used to draw up budgets and control health spending. Methods Descriptive study, cross-sectional. The study used a database of 4,700,000 population, with the following information: age, gender, assigned CRG group, chronic conditions and pharmaceutical expenditure. The predictive model for pharmaceutical expenditure was developed using CRG with 9 core groups and estimated by means of ordinary least squares (OLS). The weights obtained in the regression model were used to establish a case mix system to assign a prospective budget to health districts. Results The risk adjustment tool proved to have an acceptable level of prediction (R2 0.55) to explain pharmaceutical expenditure. Significant differences were observed between the predictive budget using the model developed and real spending in some health districts. For evaluation of pharmaceutical spending of pediatricians, other models have to be established. Conclusion The model is a valid tool to implement rational measures of cost containment in pharmaceutical expenditure, though it requires specific weights to adjust and forecast budgets.