Comparison and analysis of biological drug consumption in two Italian hospital settings: Governance actions and prescribing appropriateness.

BACKGROUND

Biosimilar drugs represent a valuable opportunity for healthcare systems worldwide, offering substantial cost savings while ensuring equivalent efficacy and safety in treating chronic conditions. These savings can be reinvested in ongoing medical innovation.

METHODS

An investigation was carried out to evaluate the utilization of key biologic therapies across various clinical indications within two Italian healthcare institutions: Asl Napoli 3 Sud and Policlinico Umberto I in Rome. Information regarding consumption and expenditure was extracted from institutional databases. A comparison with figures from 2021 was conducted to detect any growth in biosimilar adoption throughout 2022.

RESULTS

The 2022 review demonstrated that most of the examined compounds were administered predominantly as biosimilars, with proportions nearing complete substitution, aside from some notable outliers. In particular, reluctance persisted in prescribing biosimilar adalimumab (73.8%) and etanercept (73.3%) at Asl Napoli 3 Sud, as well as erythropoietin (69.5%) and rituximab (72.8%) at Policlinico Umberto I.

CONCLUSION

The year-on-year comparison between 2021 and 2022 underscored a growing shift toward biosimilar prescriptions. This favorable direction indicates the likelihood of reaching full implementation soon, with meaningful advantages for the National Healthcare Service and citizens, promoting an efficient and economically viable model of care.