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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02467933

The Effect of Informative Letters on the Prescription and Receipt of Seroquel

Abusive prescribing exposes patients to unnecessary health risks and results in wasteful public expenditures. This study will evaluate an innovative approach to fighting abusive prescription: sending letters to suspected inappropriate prescribers warning them that they are outliers compared to their peers and have been flagged for review. The study will target high prescribers of Seroquel (Quetiapine), an atypical antipsychotic. Using claims data, the investigators will assess the effect of the letters on prescribing of Seroquel, receipt of Seroquel by patients, substitution behavior by prescribers and patients, and health outcomes of patients.

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Key information

Conditions

Economics Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (U.S.) Delivery of Health Care Fraud Health Expenditures

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • General care practitioner
  • Outlier with respect to the count of Seroquel prescription drug treatments relative to peer group of prescribers in 2013 and 2014
  • Outlier with respect to the count of Seroquel 30-day equivalent prescription drug treatments relative to peer group of prescribers in 2013 and 2014

Exclusion criteria

  • Deceased

Treatment and study plan

Placebo letter

Other

The placebo letter describes a new rule in Medicare that requires prescribers to enroll in Medicare

Initial Informative letter

Other

The intervention is a letter that describes the Seroquel prescribing activity of the individual in comparison to a peer group of similar prescribers. It highlights the fact that the prescriber's activity is highly unlike her peers.

Followup Informative Letter

Other

The followup informative letter is identical to the initial informative letter except it provides an update on more recent prescribing rather than a description of earlier prescribing.

Primary outcomes

  1. 30-day equivalent prescribing of Seroquel treatments

    Time frame: 9 months

    The prescribing of Seroquel over the 9 months following the initial sending of the letters. Prescribing is defined as the total "days supply" of Seroquel attributed to the prescriber, expressed in "30-day equivalents" i.e. divided by 30.

Secondary outcomes

  1. 30-day equivalent prescribing of Seroquel treatments

    Time frame: 3 months

  2. 30-day equivalent prescribing of Seroquel treatments

    Time frame: 6 months

  3. 30-day equivalent prescribing of Seroquel treatments

    Time frame: 1 year

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab

Other

Collaborators

  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  • General Services Administration (GSA)

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2015
Primary completion
2016
Study completion
2017
First posted
Jun 10, 2015
Registry last updated
Aug 9, 2021

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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