title: Introducing Pathogen Reduction Technology in Poland: A Cost-Utility Analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mirasol® pathogen reduction technology (PRT) uses UV light and riboflavin to chemically inactivate pathogens and white blood cells in blood components. In the EU, Mirasol PRT is CE-marked for both plasma and platelet treatment. In Poland, the decision to introduce PRT treatment of the national supply of fresh frozen plasma has spurred interest in evaluating the cost-effectiveness of this strategy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A decision-analytic model evaluated the incremental costs and benefits of introducing PRT to the existing blood safety protocols in Poland.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Addition of PRT treatment of plasma to current screening in Poland is estimated to cost 2.595 million PLN per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) (610,000 EUR/QALY); treating both plasma and platelet components in addition to current safety interventions had a lower cost of 1.480 million PLN/QALY (348,000 EUR/QALY).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that in Poland the cost per QALY of PRT is high albeit lower than found in previous economic analyses of PRT and nucleic acid testing in North America. Treating both platelets and plasma components is more cost-effective than treating plasma alone. Wide confidence intervals indicate high uncertainty; to improve the precision of the health economic evaluation of PRT, additional hemovigilance data are needed.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research and Policy Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agapova
authors.affiliation: Institute of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Elzbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lachert
authors.affiliation: Institute of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brojer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Letowska
authors.affiliation: Institute of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grabarczyk
authors.affiliation: Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA ; Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Custer
keywords: Blood safety; Cost-effectiveness; ICER; Mirasol PRT; Pathogen reduction technology; Poland