Outcomes and costs of patients with persistent asthma treated with beclomethasone dipropionate hydrofluoroalkane or fluticasone propionate

Objective Examine outcomes and costs of patients with persistent asthma who initiated treatment with beclomethasone dipropionate hydrofluoroalkane (BDP-HFA) or fluticasone propionate (FP). Methods MedStat’s Commercial Claims and Encounters database (July 1, 2002–June 30, 2007) was utilized. Patients ( n =13,968) were included if they initiated treatment with BDP-HFA or FP (first use=index date). Patients also met these criteria: (a) no receipt of other study medication in the 1-year post-period; (b) persistent asthma in the 1-year pre-period; (c) age 5–64 years; (d) no diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and (e) continuous insurance coverage from 1 year pre-period to 1 year post-period. Multivariate regressions examined the probability of an ER visit or hospitalization, probability of reaching alternative adherence thresholds, and costs. Results Receipt of BDP-HFA, compared with FP, was associated with a 17% reduction in the odds of an ER visit (OR=0.834, 95% CI 0.751 to 0.925), a 30% reduction in the odds of an asthma-related ER visit (OR=0.697, 95% CI 0.571 to 0.852), and an increase in the odds of obtaining a medication possession ratio (MPR) of at least 50% (OR=1.324; 95% CI 1.164 to 1.506) or 75% (OR=1.311; 95% CI 1.072 to 1.604). Total medical costs ($5063 vs. $5377, P =0.0042), prescription drug costs ($2336 vs. $2581, P