PQA endorses two new diabetes-focused health plan performance measures

Members of the Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) voted to endorse two new health plan performance measures for people with diabetes. The first measure, “Use of Medications to Prevent Major Cardiovascular Events in Persons With Diabetes,” evaluates the percentage of individuals aged 18 years and older who have type 2 diabetes and established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who are prescribed a GLP-1 receptor agonist or SGLT-2 inhibitor with proven cardiovascular benefit during the measurement year. This clinical guideline-based measure is aligned with recommendations for treatment regimen from the American Diabetes Association Standards for Medical Care and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. The second measure, “Persistence to Basal Insulin,” evaluates the percentage of adults who were treatment-persistent to basal insulin during the measurement year. Persistence indicates the time from initiation to discontinuation of therapy, and does not rely on the prescribed days’ supply for calculation. Basal insulin, also known as background insulin, is a longer-acting type of insulin that helps blood sugar levels stay steady throughout the day and night. Studies have shown that persistence to basal insulin is associated with improved outcomes, including lower health care utilization, fewer hospitalizations, and decreased blood glucose level.