Journal of medical economics
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To examine healthcare cost patterns prior to and following duloxetine initiation in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), focusing on patients initiated at or titrated to high doses. ⋯ In data taken from insured patients with MDD who were started on duloxetine in a clinical setting, healthcare costs increased prior to and decreased following initiation of therapy. Compared to patients initiated at low- and standard-doses, costs were greater prior to and following initiation for patients initiated at high doses. Increases in pharmacy costs associated with escalation to high-dose therapy were offset by reduced inpatient expenses.
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Comparative Study
Healthcare costs associated with bevacizumab and cetuximab in second-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.
To compare the health care costs of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who received second-line treatment with Avastin (bevacizumab) versus Erbitux (cetuximab), from the third-party payer's perspective. ⋯ The use of bevacizumab in second-line therapy was associated with significantly lower healthcare costs in mCRC patients, compared to the use of cetuximab.
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Comparative Study
An indirect comparison, via enoxaparin, of rivaroxaban with dabigatran in the prevention of venous thromboembolism after hip or knee replacement.
To compare the efficacy, in the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE), and safety, of rivaroxaban and dabigatran relative to the common comparator enoxaparin. ⋯ Based on the indirect comparisons, rivaroxaban was estimated to be more efficacious than dabigatran in the prevention of total VTE after THR and TKR. Our analysis relied upon published data for dabigatran and did not have the advantages of more detailed comparative data obtained directly from a randomized trial, as was the case with rivaroxaban. Further comparative research may be of value, but until available our conclusions represent the best available evidence.
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This study evaluated the rate of uncontrolled chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) after initiating antiemetic prophylaxis with palonosetron versus other 5-HT₃ receptor antagonists (RAs) in patients diagnosed with hematologic malignancies (lymphoma and leukemia) and receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) in a hospital outpatient setting. ⋯ In this retrospective hospital study, patients with hematologic malignancies treated with HEC or MEC and initiated on antiemetic prophylaxis with palonosetron in the hospital outpatient setting were more likely to experience significantly lower CINV event rates (in the hospital outpatient, inpatient, and emergency room settings) versus patients initiated on other 5-HT₃ RAs.
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The relationship between chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) control and pain medication (analgesic) adherence has not been widely documented. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between pain intensity and the degree of adherence to analgesic medication prescribed in pain clinics. There was also a special emphasis on the influence of polypharmacy on adherence. ⋯ This study has shown that there is a small but significant inverse relationship between analgesic adherence and CNCP control, which has remained elusive to date and should be further evaluated. Polypharmacy also had a negative influence on adherence, although this was not acknowledged by all investigators.