OBJECTIVES: To estimate the medical and non-medical resource use and related costs for the management of fibromyalgia patients in France from both the societal and the public health care payer perspective.METHODS: A French expert panel, involving 33 general practioners (GPs) and 27 rheumatologists, was questioned in 2007 by means of a questionnaire describing the UK prescriptions registered in the General Practice Research Database between January 1998 and March 2003 (2260 fibromyalgia patients). Participating experts were asked to compare their own clinical practice to the UK prescriptions for diagnostic tests, drugs, consultations and referrals, over a period of four years before diagnosis to four plus years after diagnosis using 1-year intervals. In addition, prescription data related to paramedical and alternative care were collected. Costs were calculated by multiplying prescribed resource use with corresponding French unit costs (€; 2007; public health care payer perspective (PHCPP) and societal perspective (SP) including patient co-payments). Inpatient care and productivity loss were not considered.RESULTS: The mean medical treatment cost represents 345 euros per patient per year from the PHCPP (i.e. 84% visits, 9% drugs, 7% diagnostic tests) and €502 from the SP. Including paramedical and alternative treatments, the estimated cost is €414 per patient per year from a SP and €889 per patient from a PHCPP. The costs of paramedical and alternative treatments represent 16.7% and 43.5% of the total costs respectively (of which 75% of paramedical acts, 20% alternative treatment, 5% food supplements). The annual patient co-payment is estimated at €475; €447 and €497 in resp. the rheumatologists and the GP panel (i.e. 53, 51 and 55% of total costs).CONCLUSIONS: In France, the cost of outpatient management of fibromyalgia is estimated at 889 euros per patient per year from a SP and 414 from the PHCPP.