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Abstract #24657 Published in IGR 11-4
Costs of glaucoma in Denmark
Olsen J; Berdeaux GValue in Health 2009; 12: A455
OBJECTIVES: To describe costs of glaucoma treatment in Denmark by treatment sequence. METHODS: The analyses were based on registry data. A new or incident patient was defined as a patient who did not use any medicine related to glaucoma for 6 months - that is, the study estimated the number of new patients in a 5.5 year period (from mid-2002 to 2007). New (incident) glaucoma patients (primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension) were defined via their nullfirstnull use of prescribed medicine related to glaucoma (that is, via the ATC-codes) and the patients were identified in the Danish Register of Medicinal Product Statistics for the years 2002-2007. Subsequently a cross sectional analysis for 2007 was performed including use of medicine related to glaucoma and use of services in the primary (ophthalmologists' services) and secondary care services (relevant out-patient treatment and admissions - relevance defined by a ICD10 code). Patients were categorized according to their number of treatment changes. RESULTS: Based on these data the yearly Danish incidence was estimated to 1.2 per 1000 persons. The sex ratio (male/female) was 44%/56% with a mean age of 68 and 71 years, respectively. Thirty-seven percent of the patients were in their first treatment sequence (that is, no treatment changes), 21 % were in their second, and 43 % of the patients had 3 or more treatment sequences. The number of treatment sequences influenced cost. The total costs of glaucoma (public payer perspective) were DKK 2200 (a300) per year for a patient in first treatment sequence whereas the corresponding costs for a patient with 3 or more treatment sequences were DKK 4600 (a610). Drug cost accounted for 62% of the total. CONCLUSIONS: Drugs represent the bulk of the costs of glaucoma and the costs increases with the number of treatment changes.
J. Olsen. University of Southern Denmark, OdenseDenmark.
Classification:
14 Costing studies; pharmacoeconomics
