Trends in Use of High-Cost Antihyperglycemic Drugs Among US Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Background Some antihyperglycemic drugs can reduce cardiovascular events, slow the progression of kidney disease, and prevent death, but they are more expensive than older drugs. Objectives (1) To estimate trends in use of antihyperglycemic drugs by cost; (2) to examine use of high-cost drugs by race/ethnicity, income, and insurance status Design Cross-sectional analysis of the 2003–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Participants US adults ≥18 years with type 2 diabetes Exposures Race/ethnicity, income, and insurance status Main Measures Low-cost noninsulin medications included any drugs that had at least one generic version approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Human regular, NPH, and premixed NPH/regular 70/30 insulins were classified as low-cost. All other noninsulin medications and insulins were considered high-cost Key Results The sample included 7,394 patients. Prevalence of use of low-cost noninsulin drugs increased from 37% in 2003–2004 to 52% in 2017–2018. Use of high-cost noninsulin drugs decreased from 2003–2004 to 2013–2014 and then slowly increased. Use of low-cost insulin decreased from 7 to 2% while high-cost insulin rose from 4 to 16%. In multivariable analysis, non-White patients had 25–35% lower odds of receiving high-cost drugs than non-Hispanic Whites. Health insurance was associated with more than twice the odds of having high-cost drugs compared to no insurance. Patients with higher HbA1c or moderate obesity were also more likely to use high-cost drugs. Sex, income, and insurance type were not associated with receipt of high-cost drugs. Conclusions There was a shift in utilization from high- to low-cost noninsulin drugs, but since 2013–2014 the trend has slowly reversed with increased use of newer, more expensive drug classes. High-cost insulin analogs have almost completely replaced lower cost human insulins. Disparities in receipt of diabetes drugs by race/ethnicity and insurance must be addressed to ensure that cost is not a barrier for disadvantaged populations.