Cost-Effectiveness of Switching to Generic Risperidone for Schizophrenia Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Maarten Treur, Bart Heeg, Hans-Jürgen Möller, Annette Schmeding, Ben van Hout
Primary Institution: Pharmerit BV, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Hypothesis
The study aims to estimate the health-economic consequences of compliance loss when schizophrenia patients switch from branded to generic risperidone.
Conclusion
It is cost-effective to keep a patient with schizophrenia on branded risperidone instead of switching to generic risperidone if the probability of non-compliance exceeds 5.2%.
Supporting Evidence
- The model predicts that compliance losses after switching to generic risperidone can lead to increased hospitalization costs.
- Staying on branded risperidone is cost-effective if the compliance loss exceeds 5.2%.
- The analysis indicates that the cost savings from generic substitution may be offset by poorer health outcomes.
Takeaway
If patients with schizophrenia switch to a cheaper generic medicine, they might not take it as prescribed, which can lead to worse health outcomes. Keeping them on the original medicine can be better for their health.
Methodology
A Discrete Event Simulation (DES) model was adapted to compare the cost-effectiveness of staying on branded risperidone versus switching to generic risperidone, considering compliance rates and medication costs.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the assumptions made regarding compliance loss and the lack of empirical data.
Limitations
The analysis is hypothetical due to the lack of published literature quantifying compliance loss after generic substitution in schizophrenia.
Participant Demographics
Patients with schizophrenia in Germany.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website