Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40356064›Full record

ArticleThe American journal on addictions2025

Treatment patterns and healthcare resource use among veterans initiating medication for incident moderate-to-severe alcohol use disorder.

Regina Grebla, Teresa L Kauf, Angela Lax, Erin E Cook, Yilu Lin, Jieruo Liu, Shuqian Liu, Amy K O'Sullivan, Lizheng Shi, Sherry Shi and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The American journal on addictions, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Regina GreblaAlkermes, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-7235-7584
Teresa L KaufAlkermes, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts, USA.
Angela LaxAnalysis Group, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Erin E CookAnalysis Group, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Yilu LinSoutheast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Jieruo LiuAlkermes, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts, USA.
Shuqian LiuSoutheast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Amy K O'SullivanAlkermes, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts, USA.
Lizheng ShiSoutheast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Sherry ShiGroupe d'Analyse, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
Maria A SullivanAlkermes, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts, USA.
Elyse SwallowAnalysis Group, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Katie WitkiewitzUniversity of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1086-3067
Karen DrexlerEmory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Funding

Alkermes, Inc.
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesSeveral medications for alcohol use disorder (MAUDs) are recommended to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the Veterans Affairs (VA) guidelines. This study descriptively characterized treatment patterns and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) among VA patients with AUD treated with VA-recommended MAUDs.

methodsVeterans Health Administration data (VHA; 08/01/2013-11/30/2019) were used to identify 31,384 adults aged ≥18 years with AUD who initiated disulfiram (n = 2115), acamprosate (n = 3756), oral naltrexone (n = 25,082), or extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX; n = 431) following AUD diagnosis. Study measures, stratified by medication received, included treatment adherence (proportion of days covered), discontinuation, and HCRU over 1 year.

resultsMean time to treatment discontinuation was high for all MAUDs but longest for XR-NTX (92 vs. 55-59 days; all p < .001). Relative to the year preceding AUD diagnosis, treatment with MAUDs was associated with fewer hospitalizations (XR-NTX: 0.48 vs. 0.42; oral naltrexone: 0.58 vs. 0.47; acamprosate: 0.67 vs. 0.60; disulfiram: 0.63 vs. 0.57) and more outpatient visits per patient (XR-NTX: 20.0 vs. 36.0; oral naltrexone: 19.0 vs. 30.0; acamprosate: 19.0 vs. 31.0; disulfiram: 17.0 vs. 29.0).

conclusionAmong veterans with AUD, this descriptive analysis found that MAUD use was associated with reduced hospitalizations, and XR-NTX was associated with a longer treatment duration versus oral MAUDs. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: This real-world study is among the first to describe clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and HCRU in VHA patients who initiated MAUDs when all MAUDs were included in the VHA formulary.

Indexed as

Alcohol DeterrentsAlcoholismPatient Acceptance of Health CareVeteransAcamprosateAdultDisulfiramFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNaltrexoneUnited StatesUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsAcamprosateAlcohol DeterrentsDisulfiramNaltrexone

Identifiers

PMID40356064
PMCPMC12418735

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.