Fluoxetine continues to be remarkably successful; greater volumes of this drug are sold than for any other antidepressant in the world. Prozac(R) has also become a household name. In this article we examine the circumstances that surround this success, and the evidence base that supports it....

Objective: The negative metabolic and psychosocial consequences of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in adults are now well established. In the present study, an attempt was made to quantify the burden of illness, in terms of lost productivity and increased medical consumption, associated with...

Objective: To compare the costs and effectiveness of 2 oral antifungal treatment regimens in patients with dermatophyte toenail onychomycosis. Design and methods: A cost-effectiveness analysis using a model based on data from the Lamisil versus Itraconazole in Onychomycosis (L.I.ON.) study, a...

DOI: 10.2165/0019053-200826120-00008

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of aminoglycoside antibacterials with the goal of minimising toxicity and maximising effectiveness has become routine. Successful management of serious infections requires the ability to achieve therapeutic peak concentrations, while maintaining low trough...

Objective: To estimate the pharmacoeconomic impact for the French Social Security System of preventing recurrent acute rhinopharyngitis (RARP) in at-risk children with OM-85 BV, an immunostimulating agent indicated for the prevention of recurrences. Design: A decision-analysis model. The...

Objective: This study examined the impact of zanamivir treatment on patient morbidity in patients with influenza. Design and setting: This was a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group study conducted in 14 countries in Europe and North America during the winter of 1995/1996....

Fluconazole (FLU) is an alternative to amphotericin B (AMB) for the treatment of candidemia in non-neutropenic patients. This agent has similar clinical efficacy but significantly reduced adverse effects compared with AMB. Using the database from a Canadian randomised multicentre comparative...

The resources available for healthcare are limited compared with demand, if not need, and all healthcare systems, regardless of their financing and organisation, employ mechanisms to ration or prioritise finite healthcare resources. This paper reviews alternative approaches that can be used to...