BACKGROUND: All US states have adopted generic substitution laws to reduce medication
costs. However, physicians may override these regulations by prescribing branded drugs
and requesting that they are dispensed as written. Patients also can make these requests.
Little is known about the frequency and correlates of dispense as written requests or their
association with medication filling. METHODS: We identified beneficiaries of a large
pharmacy benefits manager who submitted a prescription claim from any pharmacy in …