Date:         Wed, 2 Feb 2011 13:20:29 -0800
Reply-To:     Jack Hamilton <jfh@STANFORDALUMNI.ORG>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Jack Hamilton <jfh@STANFORDALUMNI.ORG>
Subject:      Re: Help for Coding problem
Comments: To: Nancy Li <nancy_li66@YAHOO.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <306530.74542.qm@web130207.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Make a multi-dimensional array (or just three regular arrays if you prefer) with a lower bound of '01jan2010'd and an upper bound of '31dec2010'd.  Use one array element for each drug.  For each mem_id, fill the arrays using the fill date and, drug name, and days supply info.  After the arrays are filled for the member, iterate through to find the days when all three drugs were prescribed.  Clear to arrays and move on to the next member.

This is similar to the approach taken in <http://www.sascommunity.org/wiki/Drug_Days>, but your problem is more complicated.

This question is in a general class of eligibility questions that come up all the time.  I'm surprised SAS hasn't written a proc to handle them.



On Feb 2, 2011, at 12:12 PM, Nancy Li wrote:

> Hi dear SAS-Lers,
>
> I have encountered a coding problem and would like to know whether anyone on the list could help me.
>
> My goal is to find patients who are concurrently taking 3 or more medications(different drug names) over a 6 month time period in 2010.  I need to look at the fill date along with the days supply to determine if there is any overlap between at least 3 different med scripts in a continuous 6 month period for a given patient. The following is the example data, any help would be highly appreciated!
>
> Mem_id      Fill_date            Drug Name                             Days_supply
> 1B         15FEB2010       GLYBURIDE-METFORMIN HCL            90
> 1B         17MAY2010      GLYBURIDE-METFORMIN HCL            90
> 1B         17JUN2010        ACTOPLUS MET                                90
> 1B         17JUN2010       JANUMET                                           90
> 1B          07JUL2010       ACTOPLUS MET                                90
> 1B         02NOV2010      GLYBURIDE-METFORMIN HCL            90
> 2B         17JUN2010       JANUMET                                           90
> 2B          07JUL2010       ACTOPLUS MET                                90
> 2B         02NOV2010      GLYBURIDE-METFORMIN HCL            90
> 3B         15FEB2010       GLYBURIDE-METFORMIN HCL            90
> 3B         17MAY2010      GLYBURIDE-METFORMIN HCL            90
> 3B         17JUN2010        ACTOPLUS MET                                90
>
> Thanks!
> Nancy
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