Disparities in Asthma Medication Dispensing Patterns: The Case of Pediatric Asthma in Puerto Rico

Background. Disparities exist in asthma medication dispensing between children with public insurance and those with private insurance under a Managed Care Medicaid system in Puerto Rico. Objectives. Island-wide medical claims data were used to examine the extent to which differences between the private and public health care sectors affect medication dispensing and health care utilization among asthmatic children. Methods. Children 3–18 years old with at least one service claim [outpatient, hospitalization, or emergency department (ED) visit] for asthma or reactive airway disease from 2005 to 2006 were selected. Chi-square analyses compared medication dispensing and health care utilization between the public and private sectors. Negative binomial regression identified factors associated with the mean dispensing rate of prescriptions for anti-inflammatory controller medication (CM). Results. Private insurance families (n = 28,088) were dispensed significantly more CM (48.3% vs. 12.0%) and quick relief medi...