ECONOMIC AND ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACT OF REMOVING MANDATORY PRESCRIPTION TOOLS FOR SGLT2 INHIBITORS IN ITALY: EVIDENCE FROM A REAL-WORLD EVIDENCE STUDY
Author(s)
Beatrice Canali, MSc1, Giulia Angeli, MSc1, Arianna Rova, MSc2, Antonio Ciccarone, PharmD2, Chiara Vassallo, MSc1.
1IQVIA SOLUTIONS ITALY S.r.l., Milan, Italy, 2Boehringer Ingelheim, Milan, Italy.
1IQVIA SOLUTIONS ITALY S.r.l., Milan, Italy, 2Boehringer Ingelheim, Milan, Italy.
OBJECTIVES: In Italy, until July 2025, specialized clinicians managing cardio-reno-metabolic (CRM) conditions could prescribe SGLT2 inhibitors (gliflozins) only through prescription tools, mandatory forms that confirmed patient eligibility and registered prescriptions in dedicated systems, potentially associated with administrative time burden. This study aims to estimate the economic and organizational impact of tools removal, considering clinicians’ time and labor costs, and patient and caregivers’ time and indirect costs.
METHODS: Prescription tool-related activities were identified through a literature review and validated through semi-structured interviews with eight Italian clinicians specialized in CRM. Collected insights informed the development of a quantitative questionnaire aimed at CRM specialists to acquire data on the frequency and time dedicated to prescription-related activities, capturing relevant aspects across prescription types and tools. Clinician-reported data were combined with cost inputs retrieved from publicly available sources to estimate the economic value of time for clinicians and for patients/caregivers. Results were extrapolated over 1-year to the eligible Italian population receiving gliflozins.
RESULTS: Data were collected from 150 respondents, including diabetologists, cardiologists, nephrologists, and internal medicine physicians. Removing prescription tools saves ~7 minutes per visit for clinicians and ~10 minutes for patients and caregivers, translating into an economic value estimated at €5.12 and €1.76, respectively. Extrapolated to the eligible population, this amounts to ~64,000 clinicians’ hours and ~90,000 patients/caregivers’ hours saved annually, for an economic value estimated at ~€3.6 million per year. In terms of organizational impact, nearly all respondents reported that time saved may be reallocated towards activities with greater clinical impact and identified key clinical parameters monitored in patients with CRM syndrome that can be managed in primary care.
CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that gliflozins’ prescription tools’ removal in Italy reduced administrative burden, generating time savings and economic benefits, possibly supporting policy decisions to streamline prescription processes in the Italian National Healthcare Service.
METHODS: Prescription tool-related activities were identified through a literature review and validated through semi-structured interviews with eight Italian clinicians specialized in CRM. Collected insights informed the development of a quantitative questionnaire aimed at CRM specialists to acquire data on the frequency and time dedicated to prescription-related activities, capturing relevant aspects across prescription types and tools. Clinician-reported data were combined with cost inputs retrieved from publicly available sources to estimate the economic value of time for clinicians and for patients/caregivers. Results were extrapolated over 1-year to the eligible Italian population receiving gliflozins.
RESULTS: Data were collected from 150 respondents, including diabetologists, cardiologists, nephrologists, and internal medicine physicians. Removing prescription tools saves ~7 minutes per visit for clinicians and ~10 minutes for patients and caregivers, translating into an economic value estimated at €5.12 and €1.76, respectively. Extrapolated to the eligible population, this amounts to ~64,000 clinicians’ hours and ~90,000 patients/caregivers’ hours saved annually, for an economic value estimated at ~€3.6 million per year. In terms of organizational impact, nearly all respondents reported that time saved may be reallocated towards activities with greater clinical impact and identified key clinical parameters monitored in patients with CRM syndrome that can be managed in primary care.
CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that gliflozins’ prescription tools’ removal in Italy reduced administrative burden, generating time savings and economic benefits, possibly supporting policy decisions to streamline prescription processes in the Italian National Healthcare Service.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
EE168
Topic
Economic Evaluation, Health Policy & Regulatory, Health Service Delivery & Process of Care
Disease
Cardiovascular Disorders (including MI, Stroke, Circulatory), Diabetes/Endocrine/Metabolic Disorders (including obesity), Urinary/Kidney Disorders