Migraine preventive medication reduces resource utilization

Objective.-To determine if long-term resource utilization is reduced by adding a preventive medication to a migraine management regimen that already includes acute medication. Background.-In 2000, new evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of migraine were released by the US Headache Consortium and the American Academy of Neurology. Although these guidelines emphasize the role of preventive medication in achieving significant clinical improvement, little yet is known concerning the impact of such management on medical and pharmaceutical resources. Methods.-Resource utilization information in a large claims database was analyzed retrospectively. Results.-Adding a preventive medication to migraine management reduced the use of other migraine medications, as well as visits to physician offices and emergency departments. In addition, both acute and preventive medications were associated with lower utilization of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans. Conclusion.-Migraine preventive drug therapy is effective in reducing resource consumption when added to therapy consisting only of an acute medication.