In this paper we propose a more positive and useful reading of the cost disease. We present a case for refocussing the general attention from the characteristics of the cost disease (i.e. the widening production cost and price gap between the product of progressive and stagnant industries) to...

Most pharmacoeconomic studies of mycophenolate mofetil have focused on its use as part of maintenance immunosuppression for renal transplantation, involving short-term (3-12 months) time frames. In general, mycophenolate mofetil reduced the treatment costs for rejection episodes and graft...

Objective: To identify patterns of care and associated costs for typical patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a US managed-care setting. Design: Retrospective analysis of administrative data from a proprietary managed-care research database. Patients: 6371 patients with...

Many health plans and providers rely on return on investment (ROI) to determine the value of a disease management programme. ROI, however, is not the most meaningful measure of the true value of a programme. Depending on the methods used to calculate costs and determine the size of the...

Paclitaxel belongs to the group of antitumor agents called the taxanes. Its efficacy in advanced ovarian cancer has been established in large, randomized phase III clinical trials. When used in combination with cisplatin for first-line treatment of advanced ovarian cancer, it is superior to...

As physicians become more aware of the need to treat anaemia in their patients with cancer, they have to consider 2 treatment options: red blood cell transfusion or recombinant human erythropoietin [epoetin alfa; epoetin beta]. Healthcare systems are under increasing pressure to lower costs while...

This article describes the critical ingredients of the assertive community treatment (ACT) model for people with severe mental illness and then reviews the evidence regarding its effectiveness and cost effectiveness. ACT is an intensive mental health program model in which a multidisciplinary...

Contemporary asthma management guidelines list inhaled corticosteroids as the preferred controller medication for patients with persistent asthma. Despite the availability of explicit guidelines, there is evidence that these agents are underused and that guidelines are not always adhered to....

Glipizide is a second generation sulphonylurea agent that is available in a Gastrointestinal Therapeutic System (GITS) extended-release formulation. Glipizide GITS provides more stable plasma drug concentrations than the immediate-release formulation and the once-daily regimen may optimise...