COMPARATIVE STUDY
JOURNAL ARTICLE
RESEARCH SUPPORT, N.I.H., EXTRAMURAL
Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

Extended-release naltrexone for alcohol dependence: persistence and healthcare costs and utilization.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate persistence with treatment, healthcare costs, and utilization in stably enrolled Aetna Behavioral Health members receiving extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) for alcohol use dependence compared with oral medications and psychosocial therapy only.

STUDY DESIGN: Historical cohort study.

METHODS: Aetna beneficiaries with stable enrollment (at least 6 months before and after index treatment) who initiated pharmacotherapy with XR-NTX (n = 211), disulfiram (n = 1043), oral naltrexone (n = 1408), acamprosate (n = 2479), or psychosocial therapy only (n = 6374) for alcohol use disorders between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2008, were extracted and deidentified from Aetna's nationwide claims and utilization database. Survival analysis compared persistence with XR-NTX versus oral pharmacotherapies. Difference-in-differences analysis compared healthcare costs and utilization among patients receiving XR-NTX versus oral pharmacotherapies and psychosocial therapy only. Multivariate analyses controlled for demographics.

RESULTS: Patients taking acamprosate and disulfiram were more likely to discontinue treatment than patients taking naltrexone, and patients given oral naltrexone were more likely to discontinue treatment than those given XR-NTX. Outpatient behavioral health treatment visits increased in all study groups. Nonpharmacy healthcare costs and utilization of inpatient and emergency services decreased in the XR-NTX group relative to other study groups.

CONCLUSION: Patients receiving XR-NTX persisted with treatment longer than patients receiving oral alcohol use-disorder medications or psychosocial therapy only, and had decreased inpatient and emergency healthcare costs and utilization compared with those receiving other medications.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app