[Statins consumption in autonomous communities in Spain: opportunities for savings].
OBJECTIVE
To identify opportunities for reducing the costs of the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia, using cost-effectiveness criteria for selecting statins.


METHODS
Modelling the costs of prescription guided by cost-effectiveness criteria. The most cost-effective statin was determined by reviewing the cost-effectiveness literature. The frequency with which different ways of reducing LDL-c are required was calculated from epidemiological data. From data on consumption (units) and cost (pesetas) of statin prescription in Spain in 1997, the potential saving to be gained through cost-effective prescription was calculated.


RESULTS
Possible savings in 1997 if statins had been prescribed according to cost-effectiveness criteria were calculated at between 5435 and 7027 million pesetas.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a chance of optimising resource allocation in treating hypercholesterolaemia by selecting the most cost-effective statin on the basis of the need for LDL-c reduction.
Cobos Carbó
A
A
Novartis Farmacéutica, S.A. acobos@rdes.com
Muñío Micolau
S
S
Bigorra Llosas
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D017046:Cost Savings / Q000191:economics*; D016527:Drug Costs; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D013030:Spain
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents