| Introduction: Without third-party insurance, access to marketed drugs is limited to those who can afford to pay. We examined this phenomenon in the context of anticoagulation for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Methods: To determine whether, wealthier patients with NVAF were more likely to switch from warfarin to dabigatran prior to its addition to the provincial formulary, we conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study.;Results: We found that higher SES was associated with switching to dabigatran prior to its coverage on the provincial formulary y (p<0.0001). Subjects in the highest quintile were 50% more likely to switch to dabigatran than those in the lowest income quintile Conclusions and Relevance: We have documented socioeconomic inequality in access to dabigatran among patients receiving warfarin for NVAF. This highlights the importance of timely reimbursement decisions for equitable drug access. |
