[Treatment of allergic rhinitis in clinical practice and its pharmacoeconomic aspects]

The present paper aims to analyze therapeutic trends in allergic rhinitis and their relationships to selected pharmacoeconomic parameters. Health and Disease out-patient records from three out-patient allergologic-immunologic surgeries in the towns of Trencín, Nové Zámky, and Bratislava were surveyed. The analysis is based on the recorded prescription of drugs prescribed to the patients in the period of his or her "most recent season" in the years 1999-2000. Altogether 279 records (164 females, 115 males) were evaluated. The highest percentage of pollinotics was dispensed in Bratislava (73%) followed by Nové Zámky (55%) and Trencín (31%). In all three out-patient surgeries, the dominant therapy was a combination of specific immunotherapy (SIT) and antihistanime treatment (AH, 70-75%). Average costs for one day of treatment of allergic rhinitis in the out-patient surgeries under study did not significantly differ (22.20-24.50 Sk, the average value of the daily defined dose being 23.20 Sk). Due to confused kept records, the economic analysis did not take into account the financial costs connected with SIT. The present analysis shows a positive state in the field of diagnostics, connected with improved identification of the inducing allergen and application of causal therapy based on SIT (72%). Approximately one third of patients (27%) received only solo medicamentous therapy without application of SIT, and the SIT therapy alone was received by less than 2% of patients (1.4%).