RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is associated with significant economic burden. In Brazil, antipsychotic drugs and outpatient and hospital services are provided by the Brazilian National Health System (SUS) for patients with schizophrenia. However, few studies capture the cost of managing these patients within the Brazilian NHS. This is important to appraise different management approaches within universal healthcare systems. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to use real-world data to describe the costs associated with the treatment of schizophrenia in adults receiving atypical antipsychotics in Brazil from 2000 to 2010. METHODS: We integrated three national databases for adult patients with schizophrenia receiving one or more atypical antipsychotics. We assessed only direct medical costs and the study was conducted from a public-payer perspective. A multivariate log-linear regression model was performed to evaluate associations between costs and clinical and demographic variables. RESULTS: We identified 174,310 patients with schizophrenia, with mean ± standard deviation (SD) annual costs of $US1811.92 ± 284.39 per patient. Atypical antipsychotics accounted for 79.7% of total costs, with a mean annual cost per patient of $US1578.74 ± 240.40. Mean annual costs per patient were $US2482.90 ± 302.92 for psychiatric hospitalization and $US862.96 ± 160.18 for outpatient psychiatric care. Olanzapine was used by 47.7% of patients and represented 62.8% of the total costs of atypical antipsychotics. Patients who used clozapine had the highest mean annual cost per patient for outpatient psychiatric care and psychiatric hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Atypical antipsychotics were responsible for the majority of the schizophrenia treatment costs, and psychiatric hospitalization costs were the highest mean annual cost per patient. Authorities should ensure efficient use of atypical antipsychotics and encourage outpatient psychiatric care over psychiatric hospitalization where possible.
Assuntos
Antipsicóticos/uso terapêutico , Custos de Cuidados de Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Esquizofrenia/tratamento farmacológico , Adolescente , Adulto , Assistência Ambulatorial/economia , Assistência Ambulatorial/estatística & dados numéricos , Antipsicóticos/economia , Brasil , Clozapina/economia , Clozapina/uso terapêutico , Custos de Medicamentos/estatística & dados numéricos , Feminino , Hospitalização/economia , Hospitalização/estatística & dados numéricos , Humanos , Modelos Lineares , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Olanzapina/economia , Olanzapina/uso terapêutico , Esquizofrenia/economia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Assess the cost-effectiveness of the antipsychotics for treatment of schizophrenia. METHODS: A five-year Markov model was built form patients with schizophrenia on the stage of maintenance. Costs were taken from the perspective of the Colombian health care system (Sistema General de Seguridad Social en Salud). The effectiveness was measured in years of life under the same maintenance plan. RESULTS: The Markov model indicated clozapine as the as the most cost-effective alternative between the first line antipsychotics and haloperidol is it when comparing other antipsychotics. CONCLUSION: Clozapine it's the cost-effectiveness strategy among the first line of antipsychotics and haloperidol is it among the other antipsychotics. Strategies prioritizing the use of cost-effective antipsychotics could improve the resources allocation in the Colombian health care system.