To describe trends in osteoporosis drug therapy (ODT) use by age, sex, fragility fracture, and documented osteoporosis, focusing on the implications of these trends for treatment accessibility.
Key Findings:
Over 70% of patients with fragility fractures did not have documented osteoporosis.
ODT fill rates for women aged ≥65 years with documented osteoporosis increased from 36.3% to 50.1% for those without fragility fractures (P < .001) and from 30.8% to 43.7% for those with fragility fractures (P < .001) between 2011 and 2022.
ODT fill rates declined from 9.2% to 7.4% for women with fragility fractures and no documented osteoporosis during the same period (P = .015).
Similar trends were observed among women aged 50-64 years and men.
Interpretation:
While ODT use has increased among patients with documented osteoporosis, it remains low, particularly for those with fragility fractures without a diagnosis, indicating that underdiagnosis significantly contributes to the underuse of ODTs.
Limitations:
The study relies on administrative claims data, which may not fully capture all instances of osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment, potentially introducing bias.
The OptumLabs Data Warehouse has not been specifically evaluated for its ability to identify osteoporosis and ODT use.
Conclusion:
The findings highlight the urgent need for improved diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, particularly in patients with fragility fractures, to enhance ODT utilization and reduce fracture risk.
by Alexander O Everhart, Juan P Brito, Bart L Clarke, Jeph Herrin, Pinar Karaca-Mandic, Kurt A Kennel, Nehu Parimi, Clifford J Rosen, Mark Takagi, Rozalina G McCoy
