title: [Costs-analysis of methadone program in the autonomous community La Rioja, Spain].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Methadone programs have been organized in each Spanish region in a specific way. In spite of the regional interests to manage those programs in a more efficient way, so far the costs of the programs are unknown. As a previous step, it would be desirable to understand the activities related to these programs as well as their respective costs. This article aims to calculate the cost of the Methadone program in the autonomous community of La Rioja, and to understand those parameters which generate a greater cost to this programme.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study followed a similar structure as the research recently applied to the region of Murcia. The reference year for the study of the annual costs of the Methadone program was 2010. Data were obtained from different registries of several institutions involved in the regional program. Costs were classified according to different stages and dispensation centres which participated in this programme.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data analysis, for a concentration of 2 mg/ml of methadone, showed an approximate annual cost of 165.759 euros. Taking the total number of patients into consideration the individual cost was 412,34 euros.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dispensation is the stage which caused the largest cost to the programme, the highest per patient cost corresponded to the centre with less patients due to the fact that fixed costs are shared by a smaller group of persons; the biggest global cost of the programme came from Logroño's center but its average cost is lower.
authors.affiliation: Gobierno de La Rioja.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Del Pozo Iribarría
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Soldevilla Iñiguez
authors.forename: José Andrés
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Murga García
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Antoñanzas Villar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D016527:Drug Costs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008691:Methadone / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment / Q000191:economics*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D008691:Methadone