ABSTRACT

Background: The Medicare Part D program represents one of the largest changes in drug delivery to senior citizens in the U.S.; however, little is currently known regarding physician-patient communication about Part D.

Objective: We conducted a study to assess physicians’ familiarity with Medicare Part D, their perceived responsibility in advising patients about Part D enrollment, and some of the attributes of physicians who have accepted that responsibility.

Methods: We used a cross-sectional survey of physicians practicing in two midwestern states.

Main Outcomes: The response rate of the physicians was 48% (N = 257). Overall, 13% of physicians surveyed indicated that they perceived that it was their responsibility to advise patients about Part D enrollment. Nevertheless, 66% reported advising their patients about Part D. Similarly, 2% of physicians reported a responsibility to advise patients about plan selection, and 23% reported providing such advice. Bivariate analyses demonstrated a positive relationship between physicians’ perceived responsib-lity to advise patients about Part D and access to information about patients’ annual drug costs, information about the formulary content that would best serve patients, and information about the least expensive plan for patients. Using bivariate analyses, we found a positive relationship between physicians’ reported use of information technology and their access to information about patients’ annual drug costs and the content of formularies that would best serve the patient. online canadian pharmacy

Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest that although few of the physicians surveyed perceived that it was their responsibility to advise patients about Part D, many more reported rendering advice. Providing physicians with access to information may facilitate this process, which may be especially important during periods of open enrollment for Part D.