Table 1.

Baseline Characteristics

Baseline CharacteristicsIntervention Group(n = 19) No.Control Group(n = 19) No.
GERD = gastroesophageal reflux disease, COX-2 inhibitors = selective cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors, NSAIDs = nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
P >.1 for all baseline comparisons, except GERD medications (P = .04).
Member months91,54292,094
Number of patients treated with a new prescription3,3053,307
Number of new prescriptions5,9205,920
Number of new and refilled prescriptions13,34713,533
Number of patients with a new prescription from the high-cost drug categories No. (%) No. (%)
    Antibiotics923 (28)954 (29)
    Antidepressants369 (11)367 (11)
    Rhinitis medications334 (10)346 (11)
    GERD medications253 (8)189 (6)
    Asthma medications262 (8)218 (7)
    Diabetes medications154 (5)177 (5)
    Antihypertension medications, diuretics393 (12)411 (12)
    Lipid-lowering therapies150 (5)204 (6)
    Triptans and headache medications91 (3)79 (2)
    COX-2 inhibitors and NSAIDs385 (12)277 (8)
Total2,496 (76)2,434 (74)