Katelyn B. Meyer, PharmD, Mckenzie McVeigh, PharmD, MS, Ashley N. Chiara, PharmD, MBA, BCPS. Kaelyn C. Boss, PharmD, Thomas C. Pomfret, PharmD, MPH, BCPS, Kyle Semmel, PharmD. Rachel Bacon, PharmD, MPH. Diala Nicolas, PharmD, BCPS. Karen Clements, ScD, Caroline J. Alper, MD, Kimberly Lenz, PharmD, MBA, FAMCP
ForHealth Consulting Clinical Pharmacy Services resident graduate Katelyn Meyer, PharmD, who is now a clinical pharmacy manager at MassHealth, had her residency research project published in the Feb. 2026 Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, the premier journal in managed care pharmacy thought leadership and research.
The article, “Real-world 6-month persistence, adherence, and effectiveness of GLP-1 medications for overweight and obesity in a Medicaid population,” studied Massachusetts Medicaid members who began treatment with semaglutide or tirzepatide for weight loss. After six months, approximately 61% of members stayed on treatment, and 60% took it as prescribed. These results show that both drugs may help many patients lose weight when used regularly. These findings “underscore the importance of identifying barriers to sustained use, particularly in Medicaid populations, as payers assess the value of these treatments and advance equitable approaches to obesity care.”
The study was co-authored by other colleagues at ForHealth Consulting and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services MassHealth program.