OBJECTIVE: The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the health economic benefits of using amlodipine in patients undergoing angioplasty procedures from the perspectives of the Canadian Ontario Ministry of Health and the Norwegian National Health Service. METHODS: A decision-tree model was constructed to determine the total expected cost per patient for a four-month time period following an initial angioplasty. The model used clinical data from the Coronary Angioplasty Amlodipine Restenosis Study (CAPARES), a four-month, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted to investigate the effect of amlodipine on restenosis and clinical events in patients undergoing PTCA. Clinical endpoints of interest included MI, repeat PTCA, CABG, and all-cause mortality. Clinical experts from Canada and Norway were enlisted and a modified Delphi study approach was used to estimate the amounts of health-care resources consumed for each clinical outcome. RESULTS: The adjunctive use of amlodipine improved the four-month success rate of angioplasties by 9.4% (83.7% vs 93.1%). In other words, there was a decrease in the number of adverse clinical endpoints after an angioplasty. There was an absolute reduction of 2.0%, 4.7%, and 2.7% in the rate of MI, PTCA, and CABG, respectively. The total expected cost per patient using amlodipine was $6,398 (US$4,328) in Canada and kr35,652 (US$4,004) in Norway. The total expected cost per patient not using amlodipine was $6,519 (US$4,410) in Canada and kr37,150 (US$4,172) in Norway. The model demonstrated the magnitude of the potential savings resulting from the improved clinical outcomes for patients using amlodipine with PTCA. Overall, fewer health resources were utilized by amlodipine patients, resulting in savings in total expected cost of treatment of $121 (US$82) in Canada and kr1,498(US$168) in Norway. CONCLUSIONS: The adjunctive use of amlodipine is a cost-effective therapeutic strategy to achieve more favorable clinical outcomes in patients undergoing PTCAs in Canada and Norway.