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Abstract Background Senior high cost health care users (HCU) are a priority for many governments. Little research has addressed regional variation of HCU incidence and outcomes, especially among incident HCU. This study describes the regional variation in healthcare costs and mortality across Ontario’s health planning districts [Local Health Integration Networks (LHIN)] among senior incident HCU and non-HCU and explores the relationship between healthcare spending and mortality. Methods We conducted a retrospective population-based matched cohort study of incident senior HCU defined as Ontarians aged ≥66 years in the top 5% most costly healthcare users in fiscal year (FY) 2013. We matched HCU to non-HCU (1:3) based on age, sex and LHIN. Primary outcomes were LHIN-based variation in costs (total and 12 cost components) and mortality during FY2013 as measured by variance estimates derived from multi-level models. Outcomes were risk-adjusted for age, sex, ADGs, and low-income status. In a cost-mortality analysis by LHIN, risk-adjusted random effects for total costs and mortality were graphically presented together in a cost-mortality plane to identify low and high performers. Results We studied 175,847 incident HCU and 527,541 matched non-HCU. On average, 94 out of 1000 seniors per LHIN were HCU (CV = 4.6%). The mean total costs for HCU in FY2013 were 12 times higher that of non-HCU ($29,779 vs. $2472 respectively), whereas all-cause mortality was 13.6 times greater (103.9 vs. 7.5 per 1000 seniors). Regional variation in costs and mortality was lower in senior HCU compared with non-HCU. We identified greater variability in accessing the healthcare system, but, once the patient entered the system, variation in costs was low. The traditional drivers of costs and mortality that we adjusted for played little role in driving the observed variation in HCUs’ outcomes. We identified LHINs that had high mortality rates despite elevated healthcare expenditures and those that achieved lower mortality at lower costs. Some LHINs achieved low mortality at excessively high costs. Conclusions Risk-adjusted allocation of healthcare resources to seniors in Ontario is overall similar across health districts, more so for HCU than non-HCU. Identified important variation in the cost-mortality relationship across LHINs needs to be further explored.

Introduction: Ontario delisted high-strength fentanyl, hydromorphone and morphine from the public drug formulary for non-palliative care prescribers on 31 January, 2017. Our aim is to assess the early impact of this policy on prescribing patterns and to examine whether this impact varied by prescriber type, opioid type and opioid strength. Methods: We conducted a population-based, cross-sectional study on palliative and non-palliative care patients dispensed fentanyl, hydromorphone or morphine through the Ontario public drug program between 1 January, 2014, and 31 July, 2017. For each month during the study period, we reported the total number of high-strength opioid recipients stratified by prescriber type, and the total volume of each drug dispensed, stratified by strength. We used interventional autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models to assess the policy’s impact on prescribing patterns. Results: We observed a 98% decrease in the total number of publicly funded recipients of high-strength opioids between December 2016 and July 2017 (5930 to 133 recipients) for all prescribers. The policy led to a significant decline in the total volume of all three opioids dispensed: hydromorphone from 20 374 621 to 16 952 097 mg (p $lt; .01); morphine from 40 644 190 to 33 555 480 mg (p $lt; .03); and fentanyl from 9 604 913 to 5 842 405 mcg/h (p $lt; .01). For both fentanyl and hydromorphone, this reduction generally corresponded to an increase in the number of low-strength opioids dispensed. Conclusion: Delisting high-strength opioids substantially reduced the number of highstrength opioid recipients and reduced the overall volume of long-acting opioids dispensed in Ontario through the public drug program. Future studies should examine its impact on patient outcomes.

Introduction. Le 31 janvier 2017, l’Ontario a retiré le fentanyl, l’hydromorphone et la morphine à forte concentration des médicaments remboursables par les programmes publics de médicaments s’ils sont prescrits par des médecins en soins non palliatifs. Nous avons voulu évaluer les premiers effets de cette politique sur les schémas de prescription et déterminer si ces effets variaient en fonction du type de prescripteur ainsi que du type d’opioïdes et de leur concentration. Méthodologie. Nous avons mené une étude transversale représentative de la population auprès de patients nécessitant des soins palliatifs et des soins non palliatifs à qui du fentanyl, de l’hydromorphone ou de la morphine couverts par les programmes publics de médicaments de l’Ontario avaient été prescrits entre le 1er janvier 2014 et le 31 juillet 2017. Pour chacun des mois de la période à l’étude, nous avons calculé le nombre total de patients ayant reçu des opioïdes à forte concentration (réparti par type de prescripteurs) ainsi que le volume total de chaque médicament délivré (réparti par concentration). Nous avons utilisé des modèles autorégressifs à moyennes mobiles intégrés (ARMMI) interventionnels pour évaluer les effets des changements apportés par la politique sur les habitudes de prescription. Résultats. Entre décembre 2016 et juillet 2017, le nombre total de patients ayant reçu des opioïdes à forte concentration remboursés par le régime public a diminué de 98 % pour l’ensemble des prescripteurs, passant de 5 930 à 133. La nouvelle politique a entraîné une baisse substantielle du volume total des trois opioïdes délivrés, soit de 20 374 621 à 16 952 097 mg (p $lt; 0,01) pour l’hydromorphone, de 40 644 190 à 33 555 480 mg (p $lt; 0,03) pour la morphine et de 9 604 913 à 5 842 405 mcg/h (p $lt; 0,01) pour le fentanyl. Dans le cas du fentanyl et de l’hydromorphone, cette diminution a dans l’ensemble coïncidé avec une augmentation du nombre d’opioïdes à faible concentration délivrés. Conclusion. Le retrait des opioïdes à forte concentration a sensiblement réduit le nombre de patients à qui ces médicaments ont été prescrits, ainsi que le volume total d’opioïdes à action prolongée délivrés en Ontario dans le cadre du régime public de médicaments. D’autres études devraient être menées pour en examiner les effets sur les patients.

Introduction Supporting standardized approaches to common tasks is an important component of quality research using linked administrative data. Standard concept definitions and classifications are vital for ensuring accuracy and consistency in definitions between projects, and improving efficiency and quality. Other leading organizations have published online standard definitions of concepts and classifications. Objectives and Approach We developed a comprehensive concept dictionary using a standardized definition template of key components including data sources, codes, scale or range of values, validation details, limitations, SAS code and formats, related concepts, and MeSH terms. A web-based application (built on the Microsoft SharePoint platform) was developed to offer the latest web content authoring capabilities, and advanced search mechanisms enabling the user to search concepts by MeSH terms and key words. It also allowed for navigating concepts through category navigation including clickable categories and sub-categories. Entries will be reviewed annually to ensure the content remains up-to-date. Results To date, ten concepts, with accompanying codes, have been published on the concept dictionary with another ten currently undergoing editorial review. These concepts span a variety of topics such as injuries, mental health and addictions-related outpatient services, and annual physical exams. New concepts written by content experts and reviewed by an editorial committee will be added on an on-going basis; thirty concepts are currently under development. Conclusion/Implications Development of a concept dictionary provides standardized definitions, algorithms and codes to ensure consistency and quality of research and analysis across multiple projects. Future aims include expansion of the internal organizational site to an external site through collaboration with key stakeholders.

Introduction Review of post-mortem toxicological results is the gold standard for identifying whether a death is opioid-related. The Drug and Drug/Alcohol Related Death (DDARD) database contains abstracted information from the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario, for all opioid-related deaths that occurred in Ontario, Canada between 1991 and 2016. Objectives and Approach The DDARD, which contains manner of death and drug concentrations from post-mortem toxicology results for opioids-related deaths in Ontario, was linked to the data repository housed at ICES. The objective of this project was to examine demographic characteristics and the type of opioid contributing to opioid-related deaths in FY2015/16. Individuals identified within DDARD who died from an opioid-related cause were linked to demographic, hospitalization and prescription drug databases to report on age, gender, neighbourhood income quintile, past health services utilization for opioid-toxicity, alcohol use disorders (AUD), mental health emergency department (ED) visits, and opioid(s) present at time of death. Results We identified 737 opioid-related deaths in FY2015/16, the majority of which involved men (n=497; 67.4%), those living in lower socioeconomic status areas (n=395; 53.6%), and those residing in urban regions (n=655; 88.9%). Nearly half (n=325; 44.1%) of opioid-related deaths occurred among those aged 45 to 65 years. We found 9.5% (n=70) of individuals had a previous hospital visit for opioid toxicity, 25.4% (n=187) had previously diagnosed AUD, and 42.5% (n=313) had a previous mental health ED visit. Overall, 250 (33.9%) individuals had an active opioid prescription at time of death with oxycodone (n=92; 36.8%) the most commonly dispensed. Among those who didn’t have an active opioid prescription at time of death (n=484; 66%), fentanyl (n=184; 37.8%) was the most commonly found opioid on post-mortem toxicology. Conclusion/Implications This project demonstrates how data obtained through chart abstractions can be used to enhance existing administrative health datasets. Given the concern around the safety of opioids, it is important to examine the characteristics and type of opioid(s) involved at time of opioid-related death in order to develop targeted preventative strategies.

Introduction The Ontario Narcotics Monitoring System (NMS) captures information on all prescriptions for controlled medications dispensed from outpatient pharmacies in Ontario, Canada, regardless of payer. This system was introduced in 2012, as a strategy to promote appropriate prescribing and dispensing practices. Objectives and Approach We sought to explore the degree to which prescriptions in the NMS can be linked to other health claims databases, and describe the types of medications dispensed between July 2012 and December 2016. We also linked opioid prescriptions to hospitalization and mortality data to examine the relative contributions of prescribed and non-prescribed opioids to opioid toxicity events in 2016. A recent opioid prescription was defined as a prescription with a days’ supply that overlapped the opioid toxicity event. Analyses were stratified by gender and age. Results We examined 1.3 million prescriptions in the NMS during the study period: 72.8% for opioids, 21% for benzodiazepines, 4.4% for stimulants and

BackgroundThe majority of people with hypertension require more than one medication to achieve blood pressure control. Many patients are prescribed multipill antihypertensive regimens rather than single-pill fixed-dose combination (FDC) treatment. Although FDC use may improve medication adherence, the impact on patient outcomes is unclear. We compared clinical outcomes and medication adherence with FDC therapy versus multipill combination therapy in a real-world setting using linked clinical and administrative databases.Methods and findingsWe conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study of 13,350 individuals 66 years and older in Ontario, Canada with up to 5 years of follow-up. We included individuals who were newly initiated on one angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin II-receptor blocker (ARB) plus one thiazide diuretic. High-dimensional propensity score matching was used to compare individuals receiving FDC versus multipill therapy. The primary outcome was a composite of death or hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, or stroke. We conducted 2 analyses to examine the association between adherence and patient outcomes. First, we performed an on-treatment analysis to determine whether outcomes differed between groups while patients were on treatment, censoring patients when they first discontinued treatment, defined as not receiving medications within 150% of the previous days' supply. Second, we conducted an intention-to-treat analysis that followed individuals allowing for breaks in treatment to quantify the difference in drug adherence between groups and assess its impact on clinical outcomes. As expected, there was no significant difference in the primary outcome between groups in the on-treatment analysis (HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.86-1.31, P = 0.60). In the intention-to-treat analysis, the proportion of total follow-up days covered with medications was significantly greater in the FDC group (70%; IQR 19-98) than in the multipill group (42%, IQR 11-91, P < 0.01), and the primary outcome was less frequent in FDC recipients (3.4 versus 3.9 events per 100 person-years; HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.81-0.97, P < 0.01). The main limitations of this study were the lack of data regarding cause of death and blood pressure measurements and the possibility of residual confounding.ConclusionsAmong older adults initiating combination antihypertensive treatment, FDC therapy was associated with a significantly lower risk of composite clinical outcomes, which may be related to better medication adherence.

Introduction: Medication is an important option for patients with overactive bladder (OAB), with four different drugs approved over the last 10 years, including the first non-anticholinergic treatment, mirabegron. We set out to describe the number and rate of users of medication for the management of OAB over the last 15 years among residents of Ontario, Canada covered by the public drug programs. Methods: We conducted a population-based, repeated cross-sectional study examining quarterly publically funded prescription claims for OAB medications from January 2000 to June 2016 in Ontario, Canada. Results: We report two major changes in prescription patterns for OAB. The first was the rise of newer, more selective anticholinergics (tolterodine, solifenacin, and darifenacin) replacing oxybutynin. This led to a 54.8% reduction in the rate of users of oxybutynin over the study period from 10.4 users/1000 beneficiaries in 2000 to 4.7 users/1000 beneficiaries in 2016. Recently, we saw the emergence of mirabegron as the most commonly prescribed treatment for OAB. By the final quarter of the observation period, mirabegron was the most commonly used OAB treatment with 25.0% (n=19 411) of all OAB medication users in Ontario (n=77 660). Conclusions: Our findings highlight the rapid uptake of novel agents and a major shift in the treatment of OAB over the last three years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]