Concomitant use of a PPI and clopidogrel compared with clopidogrel alone was associated with a higher rate of major adverse cardiovascular events within 1 year after coronary stent placement.

Improving adherence to medication offers the possibility of both reducing costs and improving care for patients with chronic illness. We examined a national sample of diabetes patients from 2005 to 2008 and found that improved adherence to diabetes medications was associated with 13 percent lower odds of subsequent hospitalizations or emergency department visits. Similarly, losing adherence was associated with 15 percent higher odds of these outcomes. Based on these and other effects, we project that improved adherence to diabetes medication could avert 699,000 emergency department visits and 341,000 hospitalizations annually, for a saving of $4.7 billion. Eliminating the loss of adherence (which occurred in one out of every four patients in our sample) would lead to another $3.6 billion in savings, for a combined potential savings of $8.3 billion. These benefits were particularly pronounced among poor and minority patients. Our analysis suggests that improved adherence among patients with diabetes should be a key goal for the health care system and policy makers. Strategies might include reducing copayments for certain medications or providing feedback about adherence to patients and providers through electronic health records.

Field Data Generation and Observational Studies team. In this role, Wen is responsible for leading the development and implementation of U.S. Data Generation and Observational Studies research in the field. In addition, she leads the dissemination and communication of health economics and outcomes data for health plans, integrated delivery networks, and other health care systems such as the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. Wen has a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy, a master of science degree, and a doctorate in pharmacy administration from the University of Texas at Austin. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in health services research at the Veterans Evidence-Based Research Dissemination and Implementation Center at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System in San Antonio. She currently resides in Jackson, Mississippi.Jianying Yao, MS, is an Associate Director at Bayer Pharmaceuticals with the Global Data Analytics Group in Data Generation and Observational Studies team. Yao is a senior biostatistician, with 20+ years of extensive experience in designing and conducting health outcomes research. She is seasoned in advanced quantitative and analytical skills over large relational databases, with strong expertise in integrated medical and pharmacy claims data analytics. Yao holds a master of science degree in biostatistics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a bachelor of science degree in physics from the Shanghai Second Institute of Education.

We reviewed information from a US pharmacy benefits manager database from 2004 through 2005 during periods with little influenza activity. We calculated rates of oseltamivir prescriptions to enrollees. Prescription rates increased significantly from 27.3/100,000 in 2004 to 134/100,000 in 2005 (p<0.05), which suggested that personal stockpiling of oseltamivir occurred.

Among commercially insured women in the United States, HS versus LBTL is associated with lower average costs for the index procedure and lower total healthcare and procedure-related costs during 6 months after the sterilization procedure.