Biosimilar Uptake Is More Related to Practice Setting Than Patient, Physician Characteristics
Practice setting and hospital outpatient ownership status had the strongest associations with the adoption of the first three biosimilars launched in Medicare, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open. By analyzing use of the biosimilar versions of filgrastim and infliximab among more than 40,000 Medicare fee-for service beneficiaries, the study found that patient and physician characteristics did not strongly correlate with whether a patient received a biosimilar. While the setting of administration had the greatest association with biosimilar uptake, the direction of association differed by drug class. For instance, a patient in a hospital outpatient setting was 16 percentage points less likely to receive a filgrastim biosimilar than a patient in an office setting, but 3 percentage points more likely to receive an infliximab biosimilar.
