%0 Journal Article
%T Adherence and Persistence with Once-Daily Teriparatide in Japan: A Retrospective, Prescription Database, Cohort Study
%A Ikuko Tanaka
%A Masayo Sato
%A Tomoko Sugihara
%A Douglas E. Faries
%A Shuko Nojiri
%A Peita Graham-Clarke
%A Jennifer A. Flynn
%A Russel T. Burge
%J Journal of Osteoporosis
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/654218
%X Adherence and persistence with osteoporosis treatments are essential for reducing fracture risk. Once-daily teriparatide is available in Japan for treating osteoporosis in patients with a high risk of fracture. The study objective was to describe real-world adherence and persistence with once-daily teriparatide 20£¿ g during the first year of treatment for patients who started treatment during the first eight months of availability in Japan. This prescription database study involved patients with an index date (first claim) between October 2010 and May 2011, a preindex period ¡Ý6 months, and a postindex period ¡Ý12 months and who were aged >45 years. Adherence (medication possession ratio (MPR)) and persistence (time from the start of treatment to discontinuation; a 60-day gap in supply) were calculated. A total of 287 patients started treatment during the specified time period; 123 (42.9%) were eligible for inclusion. Overall mean (standard deviation) adherence was 0.702 (0.366), with 61.0% of patients having high adherence (MPR > 0.8). The percentage of patients remaining on treatment was 65.9% at 180 days and 61.0% at 365 days. Our findings suggest that real-world adherence and persistence with once-daily teriparatide in Japan are similar to that with once-daily teriparatide in other countries and with other osteoporosis medications. 1. Introduction Osteoporosis is a very common disease in Japan that is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and economic/social burdens [1¨C7]. Indeed, recent estimates from Japan suggest that 3.4%¨C12.4% of men and 16.3%¨C26.5% of women (mean (standard deviation) age: 69.9 (11.2) years) have lumbar, femoral neck, or hip osteoporosis [1]. If left untreated, osteoporosis can lead to osteoporotic fractures and increased mortality [2¨C5]. A number of factors increase the risk of subsequent fractures, including advanced age, low bone mineral density (BMD), previous vertebral fracture, and previous clinical fracture [8]. The number of osteoporotic fractures in Japan has increased during the last 20 years as the elderly population has increased in number [2, 3, 9]. As the size of the elderly population is expected to continue increasing in the future, the prevalence of osteoporosis in Japan will also increase [1]. Therefore, determining the most effective osteoporosis treatments is essential [1]. Long-term adherence and persistence with medications in the treatment of chronic conditions are crucial for preventing increases in morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs [10]. In particular, long-term adherence and
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jos/2013/654218/