Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health

The Korean Society for Preventive Medicine (대한예방의학회)
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The Contributing Factors to Surplus Medicine by Long-Term Users of Medical Aid in Korea

의료급여 장기이용 수급권자의 잉여약물 실태와 관련요인

  • Shin, Sun-Mi (Office of Global Health Leadership, University of Illinois at Chicago) ;
  • Kim, Eui-Sook (Institute of Case Management) ;
  • Lee, Hee-Woo (Seoul Education Research Information Institute)
  • 신선미 (일리노이주립대학교 국제보건리더쉽센터) ;
  • 김의숙 (한국보건복지인력개발원 의료급여사례관리 사업지원단) ;
  • 이희우 (서울특별시교육연구정보원)
  • Published : 2009.11.30
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Abstract

Objectives : The amount of medical utilization by Medical Aid recipients was 3.7 times that of patients with Korean Medical Insurance. This study aims to describe the surplus medicine and the medication-related utilization, and to determine factors contributing to surplus medicine. Methods : Among those who used copayment-free Class I Medical Aid in 2005, 146,880 subjects who were $\geq19$ year-old and received >365 days medical treatment per year were studied with their case managers by conducting face-to-face interviews. The analytic methods were description, chi-square, t-tests, ANCOVA and multiple logistic regressions. Results : Most subjects were female (68.6%), the elderly (62.5%), and the separated (61.6%), had an elementary graduation or less (74.8%), and had disabilities (33.2%). The percentage of subjects with surplus medicine was 18.5%. However, the percentage of females, the elderly, those with non-disabilities, the separated, the uneducated, those with a very poor perceived health status and those with an economical burden for medical treatment was 19.3%, 18.9%, 19.0%, 19.3%, 19.0%, 20.2% and 24.3%, respectively. For subjects with surplus medicine, averages for the number of used pharmacies, the pharmacy-visit days and the medication costs were 4.6 drugstores, 34.9 days and approximately 1,124 thousand Won(￦). These values were higher than those without surplus medicine (4.4 drugstores, 33.8 days, and ￦1,110 thousand, respectively). The odds ratios of the contributing factors to surplus medicine were female 1.11 (95% CI=1.07-1.14), the elderly 1.06 (95% CI=1.02-1.10), those with non-disabilities 1.08 (95% CI=1.05-1.12), the separated 1.14 (95% CI=1.10-1.18), the unmarried 1.12 (95% CI=1.07-1.18), the uneducated 1.03 (95% CI=1.01-1.08), those with a very poor perceived health status 1.04 (95% CI=1.01-1.08) and experiencing an economical burden for medical treatment 2.33 (95% CI=2.26-2.40). Conclusions : 18.5% of subjects had surplus medicine with a higher mean of medication cost. Therefore, health education and health promotion programs to prevent surplus medicine and to improve the appropriate usage of medication are necessary.

Keywords

References

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