A LITERATURE REVIEW OF THE COST OF OPIOID-INDUCED CONSTIPATION
Author(s)
Kennedy-Martin T1, Krauter E2, Cai B2, Conway P3, Munro V4
1KMHO Limited, Brighton, UK, 2Shionogi Inc, Florham Park, NJ, USA, 3Shionogi Global, London, UK, 4Synergy Health Economics Limited, London, UK
OBJECTIVES: Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is a burdensome side effect of opioid therapy that can impact the management of patients and reduce their quality of life. This literature review sought to assess the economic burden of OIC. METHODS: Eight databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CDSR, DARE, CENTRAL, HTA, NHS-EED, EconLit) were searched to identify published studies that reported the cost of OIC in patients. Recent abstract books from key pain and health outcome congresses were also interrogated. Results were assessed for relevance by two reviewers. RESULTS: Of 279 de-duplicated abstracts identified, a full text review found 11 studies that explored the link between OIC and cost. The USA was the country where most studies were undertaken (5 of the 11), there were two studies from Sweden and then one each from the UK, Netherlands/Belgium, Spain and Brazil. Six studies based their cost analysis on retrospective claims data, three on healthcare resource use data and two on information from healthcare professionals. Seven studies undertook cost comparisons for those with versus without OIC; the other studies estimated the direct costs of managing OIC for a specific episode or time period. Studies almost exclusively focused on healthcare costs, with only two including indirect costs; none included costs borne by patients. The cost of managing patients with OIC was consistently higher than managing those without OIC, with the highest total costs among those with severe constipation. Variation in the attributable costs of OIC and differences in study methods limited comparison between studies. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence suggests that OIC poses a significant economic burden that could be reduced with more effective treatment. There is a need to undertake further research across geographies to fully understand the costs incurred over time by healthcare systems, employers and patients.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2017-05, ISPOR 2017, Boston, MA, USA
Value in Health, Vol. 20, No. 5 (May 2017)
Code
PGI19
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Topic Subcategory
Cost/Cost of Illness/Resource Use Studies
Disease
Gastrointestinal Disorders