Introduction & Objective: The number of drugs for diabetes has been increasing and spending on prescriptions has become the largest part of total medical spending in adults with diabetes. We assessed national trends on anti-diabetes drugs spending in adults with diabetes.
Methods: Data were from 2000-2021 U.S. Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys. Medications were grouped as insulin and noninsulin. The noninsulin medications included metformin, other conventional [sulfonylurea, thiazolidinedione, alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, meglitinide], newer [dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor, amylin analog], and combination drugs. Costs were in 2021 US dollars. We used the join-point regression to identify trend changes (Figure).
Results: Total per person drug spending increased 400% from $677 in 2000 to $3,448 in 2021 or an average annual increase of $138.5. By group, the average annual spending increased $56.5 for insulin, $108 for the newer drugs (since 2006), and decreased $8.5 for the older drugs. Over time, we observed different trends by drug group. Spending on the newer drugs exhibited an upward trend from 2006 to 2013 and the trend was more accelerated after 2014.
Conclusion: Trends in spending of different anti-diabetes drug groups have changed in the last two decades. Future studies could examine reasons associated with these changes.
P. Zhang: None. Y. Wang: None. X. Zhou: None. S. Tang: None.
