title: Economics of unfractionated heparin: beyond acquisition cost.
abstract: Despite numerous clinical trials demonstrating advantages of new anticoagulants, unfractionated heparin (UFH) is still used by a number of clinicians in the United States. The reason for this continued use of UFH is not superior efficacy, improved safety, or convenience, but low acquisition cost. However, several other costs associated with the use of UFH are often not considered. Appropriate economic analysis, which considers both cost and outcomes, has not demonstrated support for continued use of UFH. Its continued use based simply on lower cost is not justified by the literature.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacy Practice, St Louis College of Pharmacy, and the Department of Pharmacy, St Luke's Hospital, St Louis, Missouri 63110, USA. pdobesh@stlcop.edu
authors.forename: Paul P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Dobesh
mesh_terms: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006493:Heparin / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D006493:Heparin