Prescription Drug Utilization and Spending by Race, Ethnicity, Payer, Health Condition, and US State

How do retail prescription drug utilization and spending vary by race, ethnicity, health condition, payer, and US state?In this cross-sectional study of 143 health conditions among persons in 50 states and Washington, DC, per capita pharmaceutical use was highest among White populations and lowest among Asian or Pacific Islander and Hispanic populations. However, after standardizing for age and disease prevalence (for 52 conditions with available data), prescription fills were substantially lower for Black populations relative to the all-population mean.Disparities in medication use relative to disease burden persist—especially underutilization among Black populations—highlighting the need for targeted efforts to advance pharmacoequity.

Corresponding Author: Maitreyi Sahu, PhD, Department of Health Metrics Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 (msahu@uw.edu).

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