OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the financial consequences of Empagliflozin use from the health care payer perspective.

METHODS: Budget impact analysis (BIA) was performed from a payer perspective: Tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Costs of Empagliflozin was calculated for patients with an average duration of treatment 52 weeks. The target population was determined using hospital statistical data, and clinical evaluation data.

RESULTS: Over 5 years after the addition of the drug to the hospital formulary and from the health care payer perspective “pharmacy budget", we estimated the minimum population eligible for treatment to be 220 in all 5 years, with an estimated uptake rate of 30 % in year 1 and 100% in year 5. The gross impact on the pharmacy budget was estimated to be SAR 201,600.00 in year 1 and SAR 443,520.00 in year 5. Dapagliflozin 10 mg was assumed to be an alternative; the net medicines budget impact is expected to be SAR 158,400.00 in year 1 and SAR 348,480.00 in year 5.

CONCLUSIONS: Empagliflozin is effective in the case of reduced cardiovascular events rate and improving patient outcome. The clinical benefits of empagliflozin as add-on to hospital formulary for type 2 DM patients with increased CV risk come at a reasonable cost for hospital pharmacy budget.