PHP132 - The Economic Consequences Of The Use Of Antibiotics In Belgium

Abstract

Antibiotic use outside hospital in Belgium is known to be one of the highest in Europe. This has aside an impact on resistance also an important economic burden. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential savings that could be realized in case prescription behavior in Belgium would be similar to the Netherlands, a country known for its strict antibiotic use. Current spending levels for antibiotics were determined in Belgium and the Netherlands. Volume and value sales were determined per country (average number of pills sold per capita) based on IMS Health Belgian National Retail Database available to IMS Health in both countries via the IMS MIDAS platform (2013 data). The potential country-level prescription cost in Belgium was estimated by multiplying average number of pills/person in the Netherlands, with the cost/pill in Belgium and extrapolating the result to the total population in Belgium, assuming that prescribing levels in Belgium were equal to those in the Netherlands and using Belgian prices. Also reasons for antibiotic use were checked in the IMS Longitudinal Patient Database. In Belgium the number of pills per capita was significantly higher compared to the Netherlands (12.66 vs. 5.93 pills/person). With a 30% smaller population than the Netherlands, spending in Belgium is 3 times higher. The estimated savings for the Belgian payer applying the usage (pill/person) of the Netherlands and current cost/pill in Belgium were €71.5 Mn. Reasons for antibiotics prescription in Belgium were mainly upper airway infections and bronchitis. By comparing Belgium’s prescription patterns to the Netherlands, we estimated important potential savings due to antibiotics mis-use/over-use. The additional health and cost implications of antibiotics resistance were not taken into account. These savings could then be reinvested in covering innovative drugs.