Prescription drug utilization and spending by race, ethnicity, payer, health condition, and US state

JAMA Health Forum

2025-08-08

(Press-News.org) About The Study: In this cross-sectional study of 143 health conditions among persons in 50 states and Washington, DC, per capita pharmaceutical use was highest among white populations and lowest among Asian or Pacific Islander and Hispanic populations. However, after standardizing for age and disease prevalence (for 52 conditions with available data), prescription fills were substantially lower for Black populations relative to the all-population mean. These patterns varied by state, highlighting the need for local- and condition-specific approaches to advancing pharmacoequity in the U.S.

Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Maitreyi Sahu, PhD, email msahu@uw.edu.

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(doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2025.2329)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

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About JAMA Health Forum: JAMA Health Forum is an international, peer-reviewed, online, open access journal that addresses health policy and strategies affecting medicine, health and health care. The journal publishes original research, evidence-based reports and opinion about national and global health policy; innovative approaches to health care delivery; and health care economics, access, quality, safety, equity and reform. Its distribution will be solely digital and all content will be freely available for anyone to read.

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Prescription drug utilization and spending by race, ethnicity, payer, health condition, and US state

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