A cost-effective analysis of various disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs for patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Soniya Krishnan; Balan C. S.; Seema P. Mohamedali

doi:10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20182098

Authors

Soniya Krishnan Department of Pharmacology, Govt. Medical College, Kozhikode, Kerala, India http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6741-027X
Balan C. S. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Govt. Medical College, Kozhikode, Kerala, India
Seema P. Mohamedali Department of Pharmacology, Govt. Medical College, Kozhikode, Kerala, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20182098

Keywords:

Average cost-effective ratio, Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, Rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic disabling disorder that lowers quality of life in the affected patients. Early treatment with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs, provides better control of disease and minimize joint destruction. Long term therapy imparts considerable economic burden to the patients. Cost effective analysis was performed among the patients treated with methotrexate (MTX) alone, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) alone, and both (MTX+HCQ).

Methods: A prospective, observational study for six months to analyze the cost-effectiveness in RA patients with DMARDs-MTX, HCQ and MTX+HCQ. A total of 91 patients were included for analysis; 43 patients in MTX and HCQ group; 37 patients in MTX group and 11 patients in HCQ group. To assess the functional disability,” Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire - Disability Index” (HAQ-DI) was administered. The patients were followed up for four months. The HAQ-DI at the baseline was compared with that of final follow up. The change in HAQ-DI and the total costs were used to find out the average cost- effective ratio (ACER).

Results: The least ACER was obtained for Hydroxychloroquine and highest was for Methotrexate. But there was no statistically significant difference in ACER between various treatment groups. There was no significant difference in the disease activity improvement between the three groups.

Conclusions: MTX, HCQ and MTX+HCQ showed improvement in disease activity without any significant difference. MTX is superior considering direct cost but there is no difference in the total cost between three groups.

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