Objective: To describe the epidemiological, clinical and economic changes that occurred in the HIV epidemic in Italy prior to and after the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Design: A prospective, observational, multicentre case-control study was conducted comparing...

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...

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...

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...

Depressive illness is a common, often unrecognised and untreated condition with substantial associated costs, particularly indirect costs (e.g. lost productivity and absenteeism). The improved tolerability profile of fluoxetine and associated lower discontinuation rates, the relative safety of...

To test the effect of differences in acquisition cost and budget-based monetary compensation systems on the intent to support the adoption of a cost-effective new drug, over 350 hospital pharmacy directors were asked to indicate their intentions as to the adoption of a cost-effective new...

Disease management initiatives are becoming increasingly popular in the US as a way for managed-care plans to care for their members with chronic conditions. Diabetes is one of the most expensive chronic conditions, both in terms of human lives and actual healthcare costs. Managed-care plans are...

Background: Asthma is a major public health problem in developed countries. In Canada, the prevalence of asthma is approximately 5 to 7%, with some provincial variation. A retrospective study using data collected in 1990 estimated the total costs of asthma in Canada to be between $Can504 million...

Schizophrenia continues to be a major healthcare expenditure in our society. Antipsychotic drugs were introduced in the 1950s and revolutionised its treatment; however, these drugs also produced numerous adverse effects. The direct and indirect costs of schizophrenia were estimated to total...