A pharmacoeconomic evaluation of the effects of atorvastatin on early recurrent ischemic events in acute coronary syndromes in Spain

To determine the 16-week health economic outcomes of short-term, intensive lipid-lowering therapy with atorvastatin in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) using unit costs from Spain. The total expected cost per patient and the cost per inpatient event avoided were compared for patients on atorvastatin 80 mg daily versus placebo. The analysis was based on clinical outcome data from the MIRACL study. Clinical outcomes measured in this analysis included: death, cardiac arrest, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), fatal MI, angina pectoris, stroke, congestive heart failure (CHF), and surgical or percutaneous coronary revascularizations. Unit costs for outcomes were values using 2001 Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) costs in Spain. The cost of a follow-up visit was added to the cost of each outcome in both groups. In the atorvastatin group, monitoring costs were also added. All direct medical costs were taken from the perspective of the Spanish National Health System during a 16-week period. The hospital cost in the atorvastatin group was € 1,921 per patient, compared to € 1,853 in the placebo group. The incremental cost per patient in the atorvastatin group was € 67.47, corresponding to a cost per inpatient event avoided of € 1,760. The cost of atorvastatin for 16 weeks was € 128. Forty-seven percent of this cost of atorvastatin was offset by the cost savings obtained through the reduction of number of events in the atorvastatin group. In Spain, the intensive short-term use of atorvastatin in patients with ACS has a favorable cost-effectiveness. The direct cost of the drug was largely offset by the associated reduction in costs for treating fewer cardiovascular events.