Pharmacoeconomic analysis of hypertriglyceridemia treatment at medical institutions.

It has been demonstrated that HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors effectively decrease low density lipoprotein and total cholesterol levels, and presently, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors are most widely used in hyperlipidemia treatment. On the other hand, it has been demonstrated that fibrate agents decrease triglyceride levels more effectively compared to HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. A cost-effectiveness study comparing fenofibrate, a fibrate agent, and atorvastatin was therefore conducted in hypertriglyceridemia patients. Referring to an analytical method published in the UK, the percentage of patients received fenofibrate and atorvastatin treatments at each dose level was estimated from prescription records at the medical institutions investigated. Changes in the total cholesterol and triglyceride values after the drug administration were investigated examining published reports. Based on the said data, the treatment effectiveness was measured by the percentage of patients who achieved the target lipid levels. The treatment costs were estimated based on the number of patients investigated and reimbursement prices of the drugs. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of fenofibrate in decreasing triglyceride levels was dominant over atorvastatin. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of atorvastatin in decreasing low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels was JPY 69911. This provides a model for choosing drug treatments that reflects clinical practices at medical institutions by substituting figures for individual cases.