Journal of medical economics
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The high life-time prevalence of chronic back pain (25-30% according to surveys in small samples) suggests that it may be a major source of healthcare cost and that prevention of chronic back pain may be both ethically and economically recommendable. To obtain valid economic data on the cost of back pain in Germany, a retrospective claims data analysis was performed. ⋯ The results show the potential that could be made accessible by an early detection of back pain patients who bear a risk of pain becoming chronic, both in terms of quality-of-life as well as in financial terms.
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The aims of this paper are to generate estimates of the association between the severity and frequency of pain in Spain and (i) labor force participation and workforce status and (ii) patterns of absenteeism and presenteeism for the employed workforce. ⋯ The experience of pain, in particular severe daily pain, has a substantial negative impact both on labor force participation in Spain as well as reported absenteeism and presenteeism. As a measure of health status, it clearly has an impact that outstrips other health status measures. Whether or not pain is considered as a disease in its own right, the experience of chronic pain, as defined here, presents policy-makers with a major challenge. Programs to relieve the burden of pain in the community clearly have the potential for substantial benefits from societal, individual, and employer perspectives.
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To assess the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with initiation of duloxetine therapy compared with other pharmacologic therapies for treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP). ⋯ Among commercially-insured DPNP patients, those with prior use of duloxetine or pregabalin were more likely to initiate duloxetine than other treatments. The presence of select comorbidities was also associated with specific medication initiation.
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This study aims to compute the budget impact of lacosamide, a new adjunctive therapy for partial-onset seizures in epilepsy patients from 16 years of age who are uncontrolled and having previously used at least three anti-epileptic drugs from a Belgian healthcare payer perspective. ⋯ Adjunctive therapy with lacosamide would raise drug spending for this patient population by as much as 16.7% per year. However, this budget impact analysis did not consider the fact that lacosamide reduces costs of seizure management and withdrawal. The literature suggests that, if savings in other healthcare costs are taken into account, adjunctive therapy with lacosamide may be cost saving.