Introduction: The efficacy of antidepressants in the treatment of depression has been convincingly demonstrated in randomised trials. However, non-adherence to antidepressant treatment is common. Objective: To evaluate, from a societal perspective, the cost effectiveness of a pharmacy-based...

Background: The bioavailability of warfarin is an important factor affecting the achievement of therapeutic anticoagulation. It is uncertain whether less expensive generic preparations of warfarin would compromise prevention of thromboembolism or increase bleeding risk in patients with atrial...

Background: In the HOPE (Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation) trial, ramipril (compared with placebo) significantly reduced cardiovascular death and all-cause mortality as well as the incidence of costly cardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarction, revascularisation, stroke, cardiac...

Background: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) present a treatment challenge and result in a large economic burden, requiring careful evaluation of the clinical efficacy and cost effectiveness of new treatment modalities. DFU clinical trials of the bio-engineered skin substitute Apligraf(R) (Novartis...

Objective: To compare the expected costs and outcomes of alternative strategies for the management of patients with erosive oesophagitis. Design: There were 3 components to the overall analytic approach. First, a decision model was constructed to compare expected costs and outcomes of 6...

Currently, there is a discrepancy between clinical trials designed to assess the efficacy and safety of a new medication under investigation and the real-life questions that need to be addressed regarding the clinical use of the medication by patients, healthcare professionals and society. The...

Objective: To assess the short-term direct medical costs and effectiveness associated with achieving recommended glycaemic goals using commonly prescribed first-line oral antihyperglycaemic medications in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Materials and Methods: A literature-based, decision-tree model...

Objective: To assess the cost effectiveness of the addition of folinic acid to fluorouracil plus levamisole in patients with colon cancer from the perspective of the German Social Health Insurance. Study Design and Methods: Patients with International Union Against Cancer (Union International...

Background and aim: Buprenorphine offers an alternative to methadone in the treatment of heroin dependence, and has the advantage of allowing alternate-day dosing. This study is the first to examine the cost effectiveness of buprenorphine as maintenance treatment for heroin dependence in a...

Recently, health systems internationally have begun to use cost-effectiveness research as formal inputs into decisions about which interventions and programmes should be funded from collective resources. This process has raised some important methodological questions for this area of research....