Economic aspects of osteoporosis

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate expenditures and efficacy of osteoporosis treatment in the Czech Republic (CZ) (1.38 million women and 0.99 million men > 55 years of age).Demographic data, incidence of hip fractures and prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in Czech women and men, cost burden to healthcare agencies due to hip fractures and costs of diagnostic procedures, preventive measures and therapies of osteoporosis were obtained from published data and from database of the main health insurance agency (VZP) and the State Institute for Drug Control. The direct costs for treatment of hip fractures in the CZ in 1997 averaged Kc (Czech Crown) 2.5 billion, diagnosis of osteoporosis, Kc 150 million, prevention of osteoporosis using hormone replacement therapy, Kc 66 million, and treatments of osteoporosis which has been applied to less than 5% of osteoporosis patients, 482 million. However, despite the continuously increasing expenditures for treatments of osteoporosis, the incidence of hip fractures doubled in the last 10 years. This is mainly due to increased life expectancy in Czech women and men.The results of this first economic evaluation of diagnosis, treatment and consequences of osteoporosis in the CZ indicate a need for conceptual decisions in both treatment and prevention of osteoporosis.