Abstract
Introduction Successful interventions for substance use disorders (SUDs), though obtainable, are not effectively utilized due to the high cost of treatment. The adoption of any given therapy is often impeded by insufficient evidence of the effectiveness of such treatment. Objective This study aimed to assess the direct medical cost of treating SUD in two tertiary hospitals in South-West, Nigeria. Methods A descriptive, cross-sectional survey of patients managed for SUD at the two psychiatric hospitals was carried out between January and June 2020. The inclusion criteria were patients with SUD above 18 years of age, registered and managed at the two hospitals. Data were collected from selected patients' case notes using a standardized data collection tool and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results The average costs of treatment for alcohol use disorder, drug use disorder, and drug and alcohol use disorder were ₦146,425.38 ± 57,388.84, ₦135,282.09 ± 53,190.39, and ₦143,877.33 ± 68,662.04, respectively. This translates to $384.82, $355.53, and $378.12, respectively. The highest contributors to SUD treatment cost are inpatient admissions and the cost of medicines; inpatient admissions include accommodation, feeding, and laundry. Conclusion Considering that over 60% of the Nigerian population lives below the poverty line, the direct cost of SUD treatment is unaffordable to the patients and the health care system, which is grossly underfunded.
Highlights
Successful interventions for substance use disorders (SUDs), though obtainable, are not effectively utilized due to the high cost of treatment. e adoption of any given therapy is often impeded by insufficient evidence of the effectiveness of such treatment
It details a comparison between the cost variations in SUD treatment utilizing a cross-sectional survey of treatment charts of patients managed in the health facilities. is model is in tandem with economic evaluation models of direct costs and cost-effectiveness in varying disease conditions [11]. e results reflect that age, marital status, and occupation were associated with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and drug use disorder (DUD)
With the rising rate of inflation, which puts the dollar at 380.5 naira to $1 [16], and a population of 152 million Nigerians living on less than $2 a day, the average cost of SUD treatment as found in this study is considered a high cost to bear by the country’s average citizen. e findings from this study suggest that SUD is associated with an increasingly significant economic and public health burden
Summary
Successful interventions for substance use disorders (SUDs), though obtainable, are not effectively utilized due to the high cost of treatment. e adoption of any given therapy is often impeded by insufficient evidence of the effectiveness of such treatment. Successful interventions for substance use disorders (SUDs), though obtainable, are not effectively utilized due to the high cost of treatment. Utilization of specific therapy for the management of substance abuse is generally based on empirical evidence of effectiveness. Over 30 million individuals worldwide are managed for substance abuse, with 50% explicitly being managed for opioid abuse Of this number, only a 10th of the patients are currently in therapy despite the obvious sociological and psychosocial consequences of not accessing treatment [5]. Only a 10th of the patients are currently in therapy despite the obvious sociological and psychosocial consequences of not accessing treatment [5] It costs northern American governments over $90 billion annually in economic costs to currently manage opioid abuse.
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