Banned until Wednesday, January 11, 2023, 4:00 PM ET
Minneapolis – Among people with epilepsy, Blacks, Latinos, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders are more likely to be prescribed new medications than whites, according to a study published Jan. 11 is low, which may be an indicator of quality of care. 2023, online issue neurology®clinical practicethe official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
“Finding the right medication is often an individualized, trial-and-error process, but studies have shown that using newer medications improves outcomes, and that some newer medications have fewer side effects. study author Wyatt Bensken, Ph.D. In the case of Cleveland, Ohio, he was a Westerner at Reserve University. “These results indicate that a significant proportion of people may not receive optimal treatment plans, and the differences reflect apparent racial and ethnic inequalities in care. It looks like
Researchers also found that people who saw a neurologist for treatment were more likely to be prescribed a new drug than those who didn’t see a neurologist.
For this study, researchers examined Medicaid data for adults in 15 states who prescribed at least two epilepsy medications between 2010 and 2014. Of the 78,534 people with epilepsy, 17,729 were black, 9,376 Latino, and 1,154 were native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.
A total of 26% were using first-generation drugs such as carbamazepine, phenytoin and valproate. Another 65% were using second-generation drugs such as lamotrigine, gabapentin, levetiracetam and zonisamide. In addition, 9% were using third-generation drugs such as lacosamide and perampanel.
Overall, 66% of whites were prescribed second-generation drugs compared to 64% of blacks and Latinos and 56% of native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. Third-generation drugs were 11% among whites, 10% among Latinos, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders, and 6% among blacks.
When the researchers adjusted for other factors that could influence prescribed medications, such as other health conditions and injuries and the severity of epilepsy, blacks were more likely than whites to be prescribed new medications. found to be 29% lower. People from Hawaii and other Pacific Islands had 23% lower odds, and Latinos had 7% lower odds.
People who saw a neurologist were more than three times more likely to be prescribed a new drug than those who didn’t see a neurologist.
People who were taking only second-generation drugs were more likely to take all their drugs as prescribed.
“Further research is needed to understand these differences and the mechanisms behind them, but these significant gaps in care may represent addressable disparities and warrant greater attention.” “Possible changes include increasing referrals to neurologists and investigating whether newer drugs are as effective as older drugs but have fewer side effects.” This may make people more likely to take all doses.”
A major limitation of this study was that epileptic patients were identified as those who had prescribed at least two prescriptions for epilepsy drugs, excluding untreated epileptic patients. Assessing who is not receiving treatment may reveal even greater inequities in care.
This research was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health.
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The American Academy of Neurology is the world’s largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals with over 38,000 members. AAN is dedicated to promoting the highest quality, patient-centered neurological care. A neurologist is a physician with specialized training in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of disorders of the brain and nervous system, such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, concussion, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy.
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