Drug costs and out-of-pocket spending in cancer clinical trials.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the effect of clinical trial participation on drug utilization, drug costs, and out-of-pocket expenditures for cancer patients.


METHODS
The study used a national probability sample of patients participating in cancer clinical trials and a matched cohort of patients not enrolled in trials but receiving treatment for the same cancers from the same providers. Subjects were interviewed about prescription drug utilization and out-of-pocket drug expenditures. We estimated treatment costs based on a large pharmacy transaction database. Multivariate regression was used to estimate the effects of trial participation on drug costs and out-of-pocket expenditures.


RESULTS
Participants in clinical trials incurred higher prescription drug costs than non-participants: an average of $131 over a six-month period. However, there was no significant difference in out-of-pocket expenditures for the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Participation in clinical trials was associated with a modest increase in prescription drug utilization and costs, but these costs did not necessarily impose an economic burden on cancer trial participants.
Kilgore
Meredith L
ML
University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health, 1665 University Blvd. RPHB 330, Birmingham, AL 35294-0022, USA. mkilgore@uab.edu
Goldman
Dana P
DP
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000191:economics*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005252:Fees, Pharmaceutical; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms