PCV56 COST- EFFECTIVENSS ANALYSIS OF COMBINING TRANDITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE IN THE TREATMENT OF HYPERTENSION

Abstract

To explore pharmacoeconomic model based on blood pressure variability to simulate the long-term economic outcomes of antihypertensive Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs); and compare the cost-effectiveness of combining treatment of the compound apocynum tablets and nifedipine sustained-release tablets with nifedipine sustained-release tablets alone. A Markov model was constructed based on disease progression of hypertension. Clinical studies which measured blood pressure variability as primary outcomes were collected to extract essential clinical parameters and calculate transition probability. QALYs of each state were extract from literatures. Direct medical costs of outpatients of hypertension were estimated from health care provider's perspective. A 5% yearly discount rate was applied to both costs and QALYs. The expected mean cost and quality-adjust life-years were, respectively, 10096 RMB(US $1525.51) and 12.09QALYs for patients receiving TCM combining treatment and 7599 RMB(US $1148.21) and 11.92QALYs for those receiving nifedipine sustained-release tablets alone. The incremental cost-utility ratio was 14688.24 RMB(US $2219.41) per QALY. Considering the threshold of 1 GDP per capita in China in 2017(US $9014.63), the combination of compound apocynum tablets and nifedipine sustained release tablets was a cost-effective strategy. The univariate sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the robustness of the results. Using appropriate clinical indicators such as blood pressure variability as model parameters, long-term economics evaluation shows combining Traditional Chinese medicines in treatment of hypertension is cost-effective.