TY - JOUR
T1 - Costs in the treatment of schizophrenia in adults receiving atypical antipsychotics
T2 - an eleven-year cohort in Brazil
AU - Barbosa, Wallace Breno
AU - de Oliveira Costa, Juliana
AU - Lovato Pires de Lemos, Livia
AU - Gomes, Rosângela Maria
AU - de Oliveira, Helian Nunes
AU - Ruas, Cristina Mariano
AU - de Assis Acurcio, Francisco
AU - Barbui, Corrado
AU - Bennie, Marion
AU - Godman, Brian
AU - Guerra Júnior, Augusto Afonso
PY - 2018/10/31
Y1 - 2018/10/31
N2 - Background: Schizophrenia is associated with significant economic burden. In Brazil, antipsychotics drugs, outpatient and hospital services are provided by the Brazilian National Health System for patients with schizophrenia. However, there are few studies that capture the cost of managing these patients within the Brazilian NHS. This is important to appraise different management approaches within universal healthcare systems. Objective: Describe the costs associated with the treatment of schizophrenia in adults receiving atypical antipsychotics in Brazil from 2000 to 2010 through real world data. Methods: We integrated three national databases for adult patients with schizophrenia receiving one or more atypical antipsychotics. Only direct medical costs were assessed as the perspective is a public payer. A multivariate log-linear regression model was performed to evaluate associations between costs and clinical and demographic variables. Results: 174,310 patients with schizophrenia were identified with mean (± SD) annual costs of USD 1,811.92 ± 284.39 per patient. Atypical antipsychotics accounted for 79.7% of the total cost, with a mean (± SD) annual cost per patient of USD 1,578.74 ± 240.40. Mean (± SD) annual costs per patient of psychiatric hospitalization were USD 2,482.90 ± 302.92 and outpatient psychiatric care was USD 862.96 ± 160.18. Olanzapine was used by 47.7% of patients and represented 62.8% of the total cost of atypical antipsychotics. Patients who used clozapine had the highest mean annual cost per patient regarding outpatient psychiatric care and psychiatric hospitalization. Conclusions: Atypical antipsychotics were responsible for the majority of the schizophrenia treatment cost, and psychiatric hospitalization costs were the highest mean annual cost per patient. As a result, authorities should ensure good quality of use of atypical antipsychotic and encourage outpatient psychiatric care over psychiatric hospitalization where possible.
AB - Background: Schizophrenia is associated with significant economic burden. In Brazil, antipsychotics drugs, outpatient and hospital services are provided by the Brazilian National Health System for patients with schizophrenia. However, there are few studies that capture the cost of managing these patients within the Brazilian NHS. This is important to appraise different management approaches within universal healthcare systems. Objective: Describe the costs associated with the treatment of schizophrenia in adults receiving atypical antipsychotics in Brazil from 2000 to 2010 through real world data. Methods: We integrated three national databases for adult patients with schizophrenia receiving one or more atypical antipsychotics. Only direct medical costs were assessed as the perspective is a public payer. A multivariate log-linear regression model was performed to evaluate associations between costs and clinical and demographic variables. Results: 174,310 patients with schizophrenia were identified with mean (± SD) annual costs of USD 1,811.92 ± 284.39 per patient. Atypical antipsychotics accounted for 79.7% of the total cost, with a mean (± SD) annual cost per patient of USD 1,578.74 ± 240.40. Mean (± SD) annual costs per patient of psychiatric hospitalization were USD 2,482.90 ± 302.92 and outpatient psychiatric care was USD 862.96 ± 160.18. Olanzapine was used by 47.7% of patients and represented 62.8% of the total cost of atypical antipsychotics. Patients who used clozapine had the highest mean annual cost per patient regarding outpatient psychiatric care and psychiatric hospitalization. Conclusions: Atypical antipsychotics were responsible for the majority of the schizophrenia treatment cost, and psychiatric hospitalization costs were the highest mean annual cost per patient. As a result, authorities should ensure good quality of use of atypical antipsychotic and encourage outpatient psychiatric care over psychiatric hospitalization where possible.
KW - schizophrenia
KW - antipsychotics drugs
KW - atypical antipsychotics
KW - pharmacoeconomics
UR - https://link.springer.com/journal/40258
U2 - 10.1007/s40258-018-0408-4
DO - 10.1007/s40258-018-0408-4
M3 - Article
SN - 1175-5652
VL - 16
SP - 697
EP - 709
JO - Applied Health Economics and Health Policy
JF - Applied Health Economics and Health Policy
IS - 5
ER -