Concerns have been raised about patients' failure to persist in alcohol treatment. We examined prescriptions for oral naltrexone in a large, nationally distributed treatment population to identify characteristics and healthcare utilization patterns associated with persistence.
Over a 6-month period, more than 85% of patients who filled an initial prescription for naltrexone did not persist in obtaining the medication. Non-persistence was associated with significantly greater use of costly healthcare services. Because the study was correlational, it is not possible to conclude that persistence reduced healthcare costs, since better prognosis patients may have been more persistent. Research is needed to determine whether interventions that enhance persistence with naltrexone therapy improve treatment outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
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