OBJECTIVES:

Intravenous (IV) iron is the preferred treatment for patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) requiring rapid iron replenishment, or in whom oral iron is contraindicated, not tolerated, or ineffective. Two high-dose, rapid-infusion IV iron formulations are available in the UK: ferric derisomaltose (FDI) and ferric carboxymaltose (FCM). Posological differences between the formulations can drive differences in the number of infusions required to treat IDA. The objective was to quantify the effect of these differences on patient travel time and distance, and annual carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in the IDA population in England.

METHODS:

A list of English hospitals administering IV iron was obtained from the IQVIA Hospital Profiler database. The mean distance from every postcode district to the nearest hospital was calculated, adjusted using a detour index, and weighted by district population. Transport modality and CO₂ emissions data were obtained from UK Government sources. The mean number of infusions of FCM versus FDI was calculated using a published and validated methodology, combined with annual estimates of patients receiving IV iron treatment, and layered onto the underlying transport model to calculate changes in patient travel time, distance, and CO₂ emissions associated with using exclusively FDI versus exclusively FCM.

RESULTS:

FDI would reduce the mean number of iron infusions per treatment course by 0.42 from 1.77 to 1.35 (23.7%) relative to FCM. Based on a multi-modality model of transport to English hospitals administering IV iron, FDI was projected to reduce the annual distance travelled by 1,021,675 km from 4,305,621 km to 3,283,946 km relative to FCM, saving 21,130 hours of patient time and reducing CO₂ emissions by 182,664 kg.

CONCLUSIONS:

Compared with FCM, FDI reduced the number of IV infusions required, resulting in associated reductions in patient travel time, distance, and CO₂ emissions in patients with IDA in England.