Impact of the phased abolition of co-payments on the utilisation of selected prescription medicines in Wales.
Author | Alam, M Fasihul |
Author | Cohen, David |
Author | Dunstan, Frank |
Author | Hughes, Dyfrig |
Author | Routledge, Philip |
Available date | 2017-09-14T05:42:46Z |
Publication Date | 2017-07-01 |
Publication Name | health economics |
Identifier | http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hec.3530 |
Citation | Alam MF, Cohen D, Dunstan F, Hughes D, Routledge P. Impact of the phased abolition of co‐ payments on the utilisation of selected prescription medicines in Wales. Health Economics. 2017;1‐8 |
ISSN | 1057-9230 |
Abstract | We have taken advantage of a natural experiment to measure the impact of the phased abolition of prescription co-payments in Wales. We investigated 3 study periods covering the phased abolition: from £6 to £4, £4 to £3, and £3 to £0. A difference-in-difference modelling was adopted and applied to monthly UK general practice level dispensing data on 14 selected medicines which had the highest percentage of items dispensed subject to a co-payment prior to abolition. Dispensing from a comparator region (North East of England) with similar health and socio-economic characteristics to Wales, and where prescription co-payments continued during the study periods, was used to isolate any non-price effects on dispensing in Wales. Results show a small increase in dispensing of 14 selected medicines versus the comparator. Compared with NE England, monthly average Welsh dispensing was increased by 11.93 items (7.67%; 95% CI [7.2%, 8.1%]), 6.37 items (3.38%; 95% CI [2.9%, 3.7%]) and 9.18 items (4.54%; 95% CI [4.2%, 4.9%]) per practice per 1,000 population during the periods when co-payment was reduced. Price elasticities of the selected medicines utilisation were -0.23, -0.13, and -0.04 in 3 analyses, suggesting the abolition of co-payment had small effect on Welsh dispensing. |
Language | en |
Publisher | John Wiley and Sons |
Subject | co-payment difference-in-difference dispensing price-elasticity |
Type | Article |
Pagination | 1-8 |
ESSN | 1099-1050 |
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