Real-World Evidence of Aripiprazole Tablets with Sensor: Treatment Patterns and Impacts on Psychiatric Healthcare Resource Utilization

Abstract

Purpose: Maintaining adherence to antipsychotic (AP) medication is often challenging. Aripiprazole tablets with sensor (AS) contain an ingestible event marker and communicate with wearable patches and a smartphone app to provide objective medication ingestion data. This study evaluated real-world treatment patterns of AS usage and its impact on psychiatric healthcare resource utilization (HCRU). Patients and Methods: This retrospective, observational cohort study identified individuals who initiated AS between 1/1/2019 and 6/30/2020 with 3 months baseline and 6 months of follow-up data using a commercial medical and pharmacy claims database (Clarivate). Controls were propensity score-matched (4:1) to AS initiators based on age (±2 years), sex, diagnosis (major depressive disorder [MDD], schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder [BP-I], other), insurance, and baseline oral AP use (yes/no). Days of AP supply were evaluated using a general regression model. The frequency of psychiatric HCRU during follow-up was compared between groups using a zero-inflated regression model. Results: Most AS initiators were diagnosed with MDD (61.2%) and were women (61.2%); mean age was 37.7 years (standard deviation: 14.1). Most AS initiators (53.1%) continued treatment for >60 days (mean days of supply = 77). After adjusting for covariates, AS initiators had 41% more days of AP supply during follow-up compared with controls (P <0.0001) and significantly lower adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for psychiatric outpatient visits (adjusted OR = 0.80; P <0.05), emergency department visits (adjusted OR = 0.11; P <0.05), inpatient visits (adjusted OR = 0.42; P <0.05), and other medical services (adjusted OR = 0.25; P <0.05). Conclusion: Participants who implemented AS had significantly more days of AP supply and fewer psychiatric care visits. These preliminary results suggest AS usage can help build regular medication-taking habits and holds promise for reducing psychiatric HCRU. Additional studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to inform clinical practice and coverage decisions.