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About 40% of patients in the University of Colorado Health system who were prescribed a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist over a nearly 4 year time span did not fill the prescription, according to a research letter in JAMA Health Forum. Researchers analyzed 9,848 orders for 6,094 unique patients between January 2018 and September 2022, finding that overall, 5,915 (60.1%) orders were filled within 90-days. Patients with both diabetes and obesity were more likely to fill their GLP-1 medication (fill rate 64.6%) than those with diabetes only (47.5%) or obesity only (37.2%). The study examined patients with insurance and found the average out-of-pocket cost was $71.90 for GLP-1 fills.
Analysis by group: Authors note that Black patients (fill rate 55.3%) and Hispanic patients (58.4%) were less likely to fill their orders than White patients (60.9%)—even though those 2 groups had comparatively lower out-of-pocket costs than White patients, stemming from differences in insurance coverage. As real-world data demonstrates the benefits of GLP-1 medications, the authors suggest policymakers should explore options to improve access.