CVS Caremark Data Confirms Improved Outcomes For Women With Osteoporosis Who Are Adherent To Therapy

Main Category: Bones / Orthopaedics
Article Date: 12 May 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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Data released by CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) indicates that 87 percent of women 18 years and older with osteoporosis, who were taking a drug therapy to treat the disease, did not experience a fracture during the two-year study period. The CVS Caremark data also found that those women with osteoporosis between the ages of 18-64 who were not on therapy were 5.7 times more likely to experience a fracture.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), approximately eight million women in the U.S. have osteoporosis and an additional 27.2 million women are estimated to have low bone mass, which places them at increased risk for developing the disease. In addition, the NOF reports that one in two women with osteoporosis over the age of 50 will experience an osteoporosis related fracture in their remaining lifetime. The NOF also reports that in 2005, osteoporosis-related fractures were responsible for an estimated $19 billion in costs, which is predicted to increase to $25.3 billion by 2025.

"Osteoporosis impacts millions of women in the United States and the resulting fractures due to bone loss associated with the disease can have a significant impact on the individual's quality of life and increase overall health care costs for the patient and the payor," said Troyen Brennan, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, CVS Caremark. "Our research suggests that the medications available today to treat osteoporosis are effective in combating the disease and those women who take and remain adherent to therapy are better able to maintain their mobility and quality of life while avoiding costly fractures."

The study analyzed women diagnosed with osteoporosis over a two-year period. Untreated women less than 65 years of age were 5.7 times more likely to experience a fracture than those treated with a bisphosphonate, estrogen, or other hormone-related osteoporosis therapy. This study evaluated aggregated and de-identified data for almost 400,000 women from the CVS Caremark Health Management Claims Database who had incurred claims between 01/01/07 and 12/31/08. All study participants were continuously eligible for medical and pharmacy benefits throughout the evaluation period. This analysis is an observational study only, and the results demonstrate a relationship between osteoporosis, osteoporotic pharmacotherapy, and fractures; however, as in most observational studies, the causal nature of this relationship cannot be strictly determined.

"The National Osteoporosis Foundation emphasizes the importance of patient adherence and persistence to a prescribed treatment regimen in order to get the maximum benefit from a medication," said Robert Recker, M.D., president of the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). "NOF is proud to sponsor National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month in May as an opportunity to raise awareness of this disease, help women understand their risk for developing osteoporosis and provide information about the treatments available today to help manage osteoporosis and reduce the risk of fracture."

About CVS Caremark

CVS Caremark is the largest provider of prescriptions in the nation. The Company fills or manages more than 1 billion prescriptions annually. Through its unmatched breadth of service offerings, CVS Caremark is transforming the delivery of health care services in the U.S. The Company is uniquely positioned to effectively manage costs and improve health care outcomes through its more than 6,900 CVS/pharmacy and Longs Drugs stores; its Caremark Pharmacy Services division (pharmacy benefit management, mail order and specialty pharmacy); its retail-based health clinic subsidiary, MinuteClinic.

Source: CVS Caremark