UAMS Doctor Receives VA Merit Award to Address Overprescribing of Thyroid Medication

By David Robinson

UAMS’ Spyridoula Maraka, M.D., has been awarded a Veterans Affairs (VA) Merit Award of $830,000 over four years to address the widespread overprescribing of levothyroxine (LT4), one of the most prescribed drugs in the United States.

LT4 is used to treat hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid produces too few hormones. However, many patients are prescribed LT4 based solely on a single abnormal test, even when thyroid function is normal, Maraka said, which can lead to unnecessary treatment and financial burden, disruptive lifestyle changes, cardiovascular risks and even death.

About 20 million people in the United States receive LT4. Among those starting LT4, about 31% have normal thyroid function, meaning LT4 should not have been prescribed, according to a 2021 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine that Maraka co-authored.

UAMS Doctor Receives VA Merit Award to Address Overprescribing of Thyroid Medication

UAMS’ Spyridoula Maraka, M.D., will implement strategies that she hopes will reduce overprescribing of the common thyroid medication levothyroxine (LT4).