One in Five Diabetes Patients Not Using Medication, PhRMA Study Finds
Nearly 20% of insured patients with the most common form of diabetes are not taking medication to control the condition, leading to more hospital and doctor visits and higher health care costs, according to a study commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and released Wednesday, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports. The study, conducted by Massachusetts-based PharMetrics, tracked medicine usage by 195,400 patients over a year. Another sample of 19,000 diabetic patients with insurance found that 30% of patients took no diabetes medications for one year. PhRMA President Alan Holmer said, "These results suggest that there may be much opportunity for improvement in the management" of the more than 16 million U.S. residents with diabetes (Sherman, AP/Las Vegas Sun, 4/21). The study is available online.
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