Using drug prescribing patterns to identify stewards of cost-conscious care

Abstract

Purpose: To characterize family physicians (FPs) who are stewards of care by consistently prescribing omeprazole over esomeprazole. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of physicians prescribing omeprazole or esomeprazole under Medicare Part D in 2014. Results: There was a regional trend with 49% of Western FPs but only 6% of Southern FPs rarely prescribing esomeprazole. Physicians had increased odds of being a steward if they worked with a care coordinator (P < .001), at a patient-centered medical home (P < .001), or in a large practice (P < .001). Conclusions: If these findings are replicated across multiple drugs, future outreach could be conducted based on provider prescribing patterns.