RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Since June 2011, the Brazilian health system started providing asthma medications (beclomethasone and salbutamol), totally free of charge to patients with asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the provision of free asthma medications on hospital admissions for asthma in Brazil, using a national hospitalization database (DATASUS), comparing the incidence of hospital admissions before and after the free supply of these drugs. METHODS: Admissions of patients with 1-49 years of age by the Brazilian public health system with the diagnosis of asthma were compared pre (2008-2010) and post (2012-2014) provision of free medicines (beclomethasone and salbutamol). The number of hospital admissions due to asthma and non-respiratory diseases, as well as the amount spent with asthma hospitalization, were obtained from DATASUS, the Brazilian government open-access public health database system. RESULTS: Admission rates for asthma significantly decreased from 90.09/100.000 (2008-2010) to 59.85/100.000 (2012-2014), when the period pre and post provision of free medicines were compared [OR 0.67 (CI 0.48-0.92)]. Non-respiratory admission rates remained stable, when both periods were also compared. CONCLUSION: Asthma hospitalization rates significantly decreased in the three-year period after the provision of free medicines to treat asthma. Our findings suggest that the provision of free medications for asthma may have a particular public health impact by its own in developing countries.
Asunto(s)
Antiasmáticos/economía , Asma/tratamiento farmacológico , Costos de los Medicamentos/estadística & datos numéricos , Hospitalización/estadística & datos numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto , Distribución por Edad , Albuterol/economía , Albuterol/uso terapéutico , Antiasmáticos/uso terapéutico , Asma/economía , Asma/epidemiología , Beclometasona/economía , Beclometasona/uso terapéutico , Brasil/epidemiología , Niño , Preescolar , Bases de Datos Factuales , Femenino , Glucocorticoides/economía , Glucocorticoides/uso terapéutico , Costos de la Atención en Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Costos de la Atención en Salud/tendencias , Hospitalización/tendencias , Humanos , Lactante , Masculino , Persona de Mediana EdadRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases observed in the pediatric population, producing a significant morbidity, and an economic burden due to direct medical costs and indirect costs. Despite the high prevalence of AR in children and the importance of the use of topical intranasal corticosteroids for its treatment, comparative analyses of alternative treatments in pediatric patients, in terms of both cost and effectiveness are lacking. METHODS: A decision-analysis model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of mometasone furoate nasal spray (MFNS) compared to beclomethasone dipropionate nasal spray (BDNS) for treating pediatric patients with AR over a 12-month period. Effectiveness parameters were obtained from a published study in which authors performed a systematic review of the literature. Cost data were obtained from a hospital's bills and from the national manual of drug prices. The study assumed the perspective of the national healthcare in Colombia. The outcomes were three effectiveness measures summarized in a therapeutic index (TIX). RESULTS: For the base-case analysis, the model showed that compared to BDNS, therapy with MFNS was associated with lower costs (US$229.78 vs. 289.74 average cost per patient over 12 months) and a greater improvement in TIX score (0.9724 vs. 0.8712 score points on average per patient over 12 months), thus leading to dominance. CONCLUSION: The present analysis shows that in Colombia, compared with BDNS, therapy with MFNS for treating pediatric patients with AR is a dominant strategy because it showed a greater improvement in a TIX reflecting both efficacy and safety, at lower total treatment costs.
Asunto(s)
Antiasmáticos/economía , Beclometasona/economía , Furoato de Mometasona/economía , Rinitis Alérgica/tratamiento farmacológico , Administración Intranasal , Antiasmáticos/uso terapéutico , Beclometasona/uso terapéutico , Niño , Colombia , Análisis Costo-Beneficio , Femenino , Humanos , Modelos Econométricos , Furoato de Mometasona/uso terapéuticoRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: The choice among the different treatments available can have a great impact on the costs of asthma, OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to estimate the incremental cost-utility ratio of three inhaled corticosteroids (ICs): budesonide (BUD), fluticasone propionate (FP), and ciclesonide, compared to beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) (the only IC included in the Compulsory Health Insurance Plan of Colombia), METHODS: A Markov-type model was developed to estimate costs and health outcomes of a simulated cohort of patients less than 18 years of age with persistent asthma treated over a 12-month period. Effectiveness parameters were obtained from a systematic review of the literature. Cost data were obtained from a hospital´s bills and from the national manual of drug prices. The study assumed the perspective of the national healthcare in Colombia. The main outcome was the variable "quality-adjusted life years" (QALY), RESULTS: While treatment with BDP was associated with the lowest cost (£106.16 average cost per patient during 12 months), treatment with FP resulted in the greatest gain in QUALYs (0.9325 QALYs). FP was associated with a greater gain in QALYs compared to BUD and ciclesonide (0.9325 vs. 0.8999 and 0.9051 QALYs, respectively) at lower costs (£231.19 vs. £309.27 and £270.15, respectively), thus leading to dominance. The incremental cost-utility ratio of FP compared to BDP was £19,835.28 per QALY, CONCLUSIONS: BDP is the most cost-effective therapy for treating pediatric patients with persistent asthma when willingness to pay (WTP) is less than £21,129.22/QALY, otherwise, FP is the most cost-effective therapy.