PHP50 The Health and Economics Bulletin – an Analysis of Three Years of Publication

Abstract

The Health and Economics Bulletin is an electronic periodic of The Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA). It aims to provide information to health care decision makers and patients when there is more than one pharmaceutical option to treat the same disease and there is no scientific evidence of superiority in terms of safety and efficacy among drugs. This bulletin intends to improve health care efficiency when it points out the differences on treatment costs among the drugs. The objective of this study is to analyze all editions of The Health and Economics Bulletin available on ANVISA website. Data were collected from editions of Health and Economics Bulletin published since August 2009 (month of launch) until January 2012. The variables considered were: number and type of diseases, therapeutic classes, active substance, drugs and treatment costs. Seven editions of the bulletin were published and each number addressed a different disease such as osteoporosis, glaucoma, gastroesophageal reflux, arterial hypertension, epilepsy, dyslipidemia and erectile dysfunction. In total, 11 therapeutic classes were evaluated which comprises biphosphonates and statins on osteoporoses and dyslipidemia editions, respectively. A total of 27 active substances and 51 drugs were assessed, including generics, similars and brand drugs. Fifty-one costs of treatment were performed which demonstrated considerable differences between drugs prescribed for the same disease. For example, on the arterial hypertension edition, it was found 1811% of difference on treatment costs between the most expensive and the lowest cost drugs although they have similar safety and efficacy levels, based on scientific evidences. The Health and Economics Bulletin is an important information tool and was elaborated to improve the critical view of health care decision-makers and patients. Considering differences of treatment costs among drugs that have the same safety and efficacy, they can select the drugs more efficiently.