Adherence of pharmacoeconomic studies to national guidelines in the Netherlands.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines the adherence of Dutch pharmacoeconomic studies to the national guidelines of conducting a pharmacoeconomic evaluation.


METHODS
Dutch guidelines for pharmacoeconomic research were issued in 1999. All Dutch pharmacoeconomic studies that were published in English during 2000-2002 were selected for our review. Two reviewers examined each study for relevance and compared each study with the nine methodological guidelines selected.


RESULTS
It was found that 29 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. The societal perspective was taken in 13 out of the 29 studies (45%), an adequate time period of analysis was chosen in 21 (72%), effectiveness was explicitly differentiated from efficacy in 17 (59%), an incremental analysis was performed in 23 (79%), costs, benefits and health gains were discounted in 24 (83%), effectiveness was expressed in LYGs or QALYs in 16 (55%), reference prices were used in 8 (28%), subgroup analysis was presented in 13 (45%) and sensitivity analysis was included in 26 (90%).


CONCLUSIONS
In this review we found that the adherence of studies to some of the Dutch guidelines for pharmacoeconomic studies is fair. However, major improvements are required with respect to the adoption of the societal perspective, presentation of adequate subgroup analyses and application of reference prices.
Atthobari
Jarir
J
Department of Social Pharmacy, Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacotherapy, Groningen University Institute for Drug Exploration (GUIDE), A. Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
Bos
Jasper M
JM
Boersma
Cornelis
C
Brouwers
Jacobus R B J
JR
de Jong-van den Berg
Lolkje T W
LT
Postma
Maarten J
MJ
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000191:economics*; D017850:Economics, Pharmaceutical; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic