Objective: To compare health care resource utilization and costs in veterans with schizophrenia treated with paliperidone palmitate (PP) versus oral atypical antipsychotics (OAAs).
Methods: A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted using electronic health record data from the Veterans Health Administration. Veterans with schizophrenia (identified using ICD-9-CM 295.x) initiating PP or OAAs between January 2010 and October 2014, with ≥ 12 months of benefits enrollment prior to treatment initiation and ≥ 6 months of enrollment after treatment initiation, and with ≥ 1 Global Assessment of Functioning measurement at baseline were included. Inverse probability of treatment weighted regression models were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and cost differences (CDs) for the impact of PP versus OAAs on health care resource utilization and costs.
Results: Among 10,290 eligible veterans, 2,285 and 8,005 were initiated on PP and OAAs, respectively. After adjustment, PP was associated with less frequent all-cause inpatient hospitalizations (IRR = 0.89, P < .001) and more frequent mental health intensive case management visits (IRR = 1.81, P < .001) compared to OAAs. PP treatment was associated with higher likelihood of increased income (odds ratio [OR] = 1.20, P = .027) and lower likelihood of homelessness (OR = 0.82, P < .001). While mean annual pharmacy and outpatient costs were higher among PP users (CD = $3,417 pharmacy, $2,527 outpatient, P < .001), mean annual inpatient costs were lower (CD = -$14,456, P < .001), resulting in average annual total health care (medical and pharmacy) cost savings associated with PP (CD = -$8,511, P = .012) relative to OAAs.
Conclusions: PP treatment was associated with significantly lower total health care costs attributable to reduced inpatient admissions compared to OAAs. Higher mental health intensive case management participation among PP users may have contributed to the differences observed.
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