OBJECTIVES : In 2015, 3.2 million people died from COPD worldwide, an increase of 11·6% compared with 1990. In Colombia the COPD mortality rate increased from 14.7 per 100 thousand people in 1990 to 23.8 per 100 thousand in 2017. The aim of this study was to estimate health services use and direct costs of COPD in Colombia from the health care system perspective.

METHODS : A retrospective prevalence-based study was used to analyze claims data on health services utilization and costs in all-age patients with COPD (CIE-10: J40-J44) between 2016 and 2018. Using macro-cost techniques, frequencies of health services use and direct care costs were estimated for different age groups and type of health services. All costs are expressed in USD (2018).

RESULTS : A total of 4.089 patients were included with diagnostics: Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (95,8%), Bronchitis (3,43%) and Emphysema (0,77%). 27.42% of patients received hospital treatment. The annual cost of patient care was an average of 897 $USD; 101,3% of the "unit of payment per capita" that the State pay to the health insurer in Colombia, for this age group (> 60 years old) Medicines represent the most important medical technology in the annual cost of COPD (47.38%) followed by hospital stays (12.18% of the total annual cost). The care provided in the hospital sector represents 57.1% of the total annual cost. After 55 years, the patients presented per capita costs ($ USD 952) significantly higher than other age groups ($ USD 509)

CONCLUSIONS : The health care of COPD patients represents an important economic burden for the Colombian health system. Nationwide health policies aimed at the effective control of COPD are necessary and would play an important role in reducing the associated economic impact.