OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the burden of health care costs of prescribing biologics by psoriasis (PsO) patients in South Korea.

METHODS: The National Patient Sample data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA-NPS) were used for the year 2014 to 2018. The patient group of PsO was identified by searching on associated KCD-7 codes and usage of PsO medication. Biologics users represented patients who had at least 1 or more medical records of biologics usage. Health care costs of biologics users compared to non-biologics users were assessed by measuring average PsO medication costs, and average total medical costs for treating PsO.

RESULTS: The number of PsO patients treated with biologics has steadily increased from 2014 (N=1,133) to 2018 (N=3,167). The increasing trend in biologics users was apparent in 2016 and 2018, which sparked an annual increase of 65% and 83% in total medical costs for biologics users respectively. The 5-year average of PsO medication costs per biologics users amounted to 8,237,266 KRW as opposed to non-biologics users’ 225,607 KRW. Total medical costs for treating PsO for biologics users and non-biologics users on average were 8,372,181 KRW and 377,396 KRW. The gap peaked in 2018 with biologics users’ 9,218,123 KRW and non-biologics users’ 300,931 KRW. In the next stage of our analysis, the costs per co-morbidities will be stratified.

CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that high health care costs were associated with PsO patients treated with biologics. Furthermore, among biologics users, the average total medical costs are higher among patients with specified comorbidities indicating additional incremental burden of healthcare spending in management of PsO with associated co-morbid conditions.