Research to be presented at AMCP 2024 explores the real-world experiences of patients with chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) in the United States, highlighting barriers to access and costs associated with medications for managing the condition.

CIC is a prevalent condition with symptoms of infrequent bowel movements and difficulty passing stool. Since limited data exists on how patients in the US manage CIC in their everyday lives, this study aims to explore patients' perspectives on the accessibility and costs of medications for CIC.

This observational study took place in the United States from October 2022 to June 2023, focusing on adult patients with CIC. Board-certified gastroenterologists, advanced practice providers, and primary care physicians each recruited up to eight patients aged 18 years or older. Patients filled out a survey regarding their demographics, treatment methods, perceived attributes of treatments, as well as barriers and costs associated with their condition.

A total of 230 patients completed the survey. The cohort had a mean age of 49.7 years, and most were female (64.3%) and White (68.3%). The most common over-the-counter medications were polyethylene glycol (49.5%), psyllium (31.8%), bisacodyl (19.2%), and senna (18.2%). The most common prescription medications were linaclotide (47.7%), plecanatide (19.0%), lubiprostone (16.3%), and prucalopride (9.2%).

Patients prioritized symptom relief and treatment affordability when choosing a treatment, with the main barriers being difficulty in getting a health care professional appointment, unawareness of available prescription medications, and lack of insurance coverage. Costs for patients included expenses for seeing a health care professional, copayments for prescription medications, and over-the-counter medications.

“A substantial proportion of patients reported a lack of awareness of prescription medications for CIC and no insurance coverage of those medications,” said researchers. “The highest out-of-pocket costs for patients were related to seeing an HCP and those associated with OTC and prescription medications. These factors may affect patient access to therapies for CIC.”

Reference
Terreri B, Brenner D, de Courcy J, et al. Treatment patterns, barriers, and associated costs reported by patients with chronic idiopathic constipation in the United States: Analysis from a cross-sectional observational study. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2024;30(4-a suppl):S82. AMCP 2024 poster abstract.