[Economic evaluation of medical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in the specialised care setting in Spain. Application to the cost-effectiveness of two drugs frequently used in its treatment].
OBJECTIVE
To develop a pharmacoeconomic study in order to know the average cost of BPH diagnosis and follow-up in Spain in the Urology Department setting from the perspective of the public health system, considering two frequently used drugs in the Spanish Healthcare environment, an alpha-blocker (tamsulosin) and the lipido-sterolic extract of Serenoa repens (Permixon).


METHODS
Direct healthcare costs of BPH diagnosis and treatment were determined for each clinical stage according to the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS): mild, moderate and severe. Data on the usage and unit costs of healthcare resources were obtained from a semi-structured interview with clinical experts. The clinical efficacy of the medical treatments was obtained from the PERMAL clinical study, where therapeutic equivalence between the two studied drugs was observed.


RESULTS
For patients treated in the Urology Department setting, the average annual cost of diagnostic tests and medical visits related to mild, moderate or severe BPH symptoms were, respectively, Euro 124, Euro 207, and Euro 286. The average annual cost of the drugs, including adverse effects treatment, was Euro 211 for Permixon and Euro 346 for tamsulosin.


CONCLUSIONS
Costs of medical care of BPH increases with symptom intensity. Pharmacological treatment makes up a significant part of the disease's cost. According to the model used, treatment with Permixon is considerably more cost-effective than with tamsulosin, offering average yearly savings of Euro 135 per patient.
Carballido
J
J
Servicio de Urología, Hosp. Univ. Puerta de Hierro, Madrid.
Ruiz-Cerdá
J L
JL
Unda
M
M
Baena
V
V
Campoy
P
P
Manasanch
J
J
Slof
J
J
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D028024:Serenoa; D013030:Spain; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077409:Tamsulosin
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013449:Sulfonamides; D000077409:Tamsulosin; C040972:saw palmetto extract