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The Costs of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Italy

A CODE-2 Sub-Study

  • Original Research Article
  • Published:
Treatments in Endocrinology

Abstract

Aim: To estimate the direct, indirect, and intangible costs associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Italy in 1998. To evaluate the economic impact of diabetic complications, and to investigate drug treatment patterns and associated costs in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: The Italian arm of an international study (COsts of Diabetes in Europe — Type 2 [CODE-2], a descriptive, cross-sectional survey) was set up to collect information retrospectively by means of questionnaires from a sample of 1263 patients. Resource use was measured in monetary terms using a set of costs and tariffs. Intangible costs were estimated using the EuroQol questionnaire.

Results: The average yearly cost for medical resources for a patient with type 2 diabetes was 2991 Euro, whereas the estimated cost for the whole population with type 2 diabetes was about 5170 million Euro. This corresponds to 6.65% of the total healthcare expenditure (public and private) in Italy. Of direct costs, 29% was spent for the treatment of diabetes and 39% for the treatment of diabetic complications; while the remaining 32% was spent for healthcare not related to diabetes. Quality of life score in patients with type 2 diabetes (EuroQoL overall average score) was 0.68.

Conclusions: Type 2 diabetes has a high cost to society. The major cost component is due to the care of diabetic complications, not to the treatment of the illness itself; in particular, drug costs represent a relatively small proportion of such treatment cost.

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Notes

  1. The daily dose for a drug prescribed for a specific patient. PDDs sample (weighted) averages are reported in table VIII.

  2. This is defined as ‘the assumed average dose per day for a drug used in its main indication in adults’.[27] The international point of reference as regards DDD methods and data is the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology.[28] Data source for DDDs in Italy is the Italian branch of the Drug Utilisation Research Group.[29]

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ADIS International, Via Lanino 5, 20144, Milano, Italy

    Carlo Lucioni & Silvo Mazzi

  2. San Raffaele Scientific Istitute, Milan, Italy

    Maria Paola Garancini

  3. Institute of Internal Medicine and Endocrine-Metabolic Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

    Massimo Massi-Benedetti

  4. Department of Pharmacoepidemiology Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Milan, Italy

    Giulio Serra

Authors
  1. Carlo Lucioni
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  2. Maria Paola Garancini
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  3. Massimo Massi-Benedetti
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  4. Silvo Mazzi
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  5. Giulio Serra
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Additional information

Drs C. Lucioni, M.P. Garancini, M. Massi-Benedetti, S. Mazzi, and G. Serra, wrote this article on behalf of the CODE-2 Italian Advisory Board. The CODE-2 Italian Advisory Board’s members are: D. Cucinotta, M.P. Garancini, R. Lombardi, R. Giorgino, C. Lucioni, M. Massi-Benedetti, G. Passerini, and G. Serra

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Lucioni, C., Garancini, M.P., Massi-Benedetti, M. et al. The Costs of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Italy. Mol Diag Ther 2, 121–133 (2003). https://doi.org/10.2165/00024677-200302020-00005

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