PharmacoEconomics
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We constructed a UK-based decision model of palliative care for terminally ill cancer patients who were switched from a weak to a strong opioid so that the expected direct healthcare costs in the UK could be estimated from the time a patient commenced a strong opioid until death. ⋯ The expected cost of palliative care in the UK healthcare setting ranged from approximately 2500 Pounds to 4000 Pounds (1500 Pounds to 6000 Pounds in the sensitivity analysis) depending on the length of survival after patients switch from weak to strong opioids. Since opioids account for only 2 to 8% of expected costs, factors other than economic issues, such as tolerability profile, patient preference and convenience of use, should form the basis of clinical decision-making between opioids with similar analgesic efficacy.