[Budget impact analysis of the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in a hospital].

OBJECTIVE: To perform a budget impact analysis (BIA) of the treatment with pegylated interferon (pegIFN), alfa-2a or alfa-2b, plus ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC).

METHOD: An interactive model has been designed from the inputs obtained from hospital databases. Prices for pegIFN and RIB have been taken from the hospitals considering their respective discounts. Only pharmacological costs (euros 2005 values) for the options have been considered. Both strategies have been considered as therapeutic equivalents.

RESULTS: The number of patients with CHC evaluated in the model has been of 117, with an average age of 42 years and an average weight of 75 kg. The genotypes of the patients were: G1/4, 85% and; G2/3, 15%. Discontinuation of the treatment at week 12 took place in 26% of the patients. The average duration of treatment has been of 37 weeks. Total cost of the 117 evaluated patients ranged between 942,632-952,109 and 861,646-880,751 euros for the treatment with pegIFN alfa-2a + RIB and pegIFN alfa-2b + RIB, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: BIA models can be useful for the inclusion or reassessment of drugs in formularies. In this case, the treatment with pegIFN alfa-2b + RIB (in comparison with pegIFN alfa-2a + RIB) is an efficient strategy although it depends on acquisition prices, and so, it would be rarely useful in other centres. In our hospital it would produce a budgetary saving that would range from 71,358 to 80,986 euros, which would represent a 7.5-8.6% of the total cost of the pharmacological treatment of the CHC.