Conversion From Brand Name to Generic Medication
Conditions
Keywords
Generic Medication, Brand Name Medication, Conversion Rates, Social Proximity, Behavioral Economics
Brief summary
The goal of this project is to understand the effects of receiving peer information on individuals' conversion rates from brand name prescription medication to generic prescription medication.
Detailed description
At companies where employees are predominantly union members, we will compare the efficacy of a peer information intervention using a testimonial from a union identified employee to an intervention using a testimonial with no union identification, as well as to a no-testimonial intervention. The control arm will receive a letter signed by our partner company's Chief Medical Officer, explaining the health and monetary benefits of switching from brand name prescription medication to generic prescription medication. The testimonial treatment arm will receive the exact same letter, but the letter will feature an employee's testimonial along with the first name, last initial, city and state of the employee giving the testimonial. The testimonial and union arm will receive the same letter as the testimonial treatment arm but with the addition of the union affiliation of the employee giving the testimonial.
Interventions
OTHERSocial Proximity and Conversion to Generic Medications
At companies where employees are predominantly union members, we will compare the efficacy of a peer information intervention using a testimonial from a union identified employee to an intervention using a testimonial with no union identification, as well as to a no-testimonial intervention.
Sponsors
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Employee of a company that uses Express Scripts as its pharmacy benefits manager. * Employee at a company with predominantly union employees. * Currently taking a brand name medication with an exact generic equivalent.
Exclusion criteria
* Employees on any psychological prescription medication.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion from Brand Name to Generic Prescription Medication | One month to one year after the intervention. | We will measure conversion rates of employees from brand name to generic prescription medication by treatment arm. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Union Status and Conversation to Generic Medication | One month to one year after the intervention. | We will see how union affiliation affects the employee conversion rates from brand name to prescription medication by treatment arm. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed