Economic evaluation in collaborative hospital drug evaluation reports

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Pharmacoeconomics
• Drug Evaluation

Background:

• Economic evaluation is crucial for drug therapy decisions.
• The MADRE method, developed by SEFH, includes economic evaluation.
• Previous experiences with the MADRE method require analysis for improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve the economic evaluation aspects of the MADRE method.
• To analyze past experiences with the current methodology.
• To propose necessary improvements for economic evaluations in drug assessment.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of economic evaluation sections in drug evaluation reports.
• Analysis of reports conducted collaboratively by the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy (SEFH) using the MADRE method.

Main Results:

• 32 reports reviewed; 87.5% included author-conducted economic evaluations.
• 90.6% featured Budget Impact Analysis; 14 reported cost per life year gained or QALY gained.
• Significant challenges identified: low-quality evidence, lack of comparative studies, and data uncertainties.

Conclusions:

• Proposed improvements include aid for non-drug costs and survival estimation.
• Recommendations for drug price selection, handling uncertainty, and dose calculation are suggested.
• Adapting published economic evaluations and establishing cost-effectiveness thresholds are key recommendations.