Comparative persistence and adherence to overactive bladder medications in patients with and without diabetes

Summary Aims: This retrospective administrative claims‐based study evaluated comparative persistence and adherence to overactive bladder (OAB) medications in US patients with and without diabetes. Methods: Patients ≥ 18 years who initiated OAB medications between 1 January 2005 and 30 June 2008 were analysed from the Truven Health MarketScan® Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases. A 12‐month baseline period prior to OAB medication initiation was used to classify patients into diabetes and non‐diabetes cohorts, and measure demographic and clinical characteristics. Patients in each cohort were directly matched 1 : 1 based on index year, age, gender and geographic region. Multiple logistic regression was used to compare cohorts on outcomes of ≥ 80% adherence to OAB medications and refilling a second OAB medication prescription. Cox’s proportional hazards model compared time to non‐persistence with OAB medications between both cohorts. Results: In total, 36,560 patients were included in each cohort. Compared with the non‐diabetes cohort, the diabetes cohort had 21.5% higher odds of ≥ 80% adherence to OAB medications, 16.6% higher odds of filling a second OAB medication prescription and 10.3% lower hazard of non‐persistence with OAB medications during a 12‐month evaluation period. Conclusions: Patients with diabetes were more persistent and adherent to OAB medications and had higher odds of filling a second medication prescription than patients without diabetes. Further research is needed to identify factors responsible for these findings.