Quantitative information on the management of PHN, a complication of HZ, is scarce, with the most recent data from 1975. With the imminent arrival of a prophylactic Zoster vaccine, it is important to document the burden of PHN in the UK. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the proportion of HZ patients developing PHN, the duration, resource use and costs of PHN sufferers, using two definitions: pain persisting one (1-month definition) or three months (3-month definition) after HZ onset. METHODS: Records of immuno-competent individuals of ≥50 years, diagnosed with HZ between 2000 and 2005, and with ≥1-year follow-up were selected from the UK General Practice Research Database (GPRD). PHN episodes were identified by formal diagnosis and prescriptions of typical neuropathic pain medications. Duration was estimated from the number of treatment days per patient. Resource use (medications, physicians visits, referrals [excluding hospitalisations]) were retrieved from patients' medical records. Economic analyses were performed to estimate the average direct cost of PHN management from the National Health Service (NHS) perspective. RESULTS: 25,002 patients with HZ were included in the analyses. Mean age was 67.9 years, 61.1% were females. One-month definition: 19.5% (95%CI 19.0%;20.0%) of patients developed PHN, 65.4% were females; mean age was 71.2 years. Three-month definition: 13.7% (95%CI 13.2%;14.1%) of patients developed PHN, 66.6% were females; mean age was 71.1 years. The mean PHN duration was 7.5 and 9.0 months using the 1 and 3-month definitions respectively. The mean direct cost of PHN management per episode was £284.38 and £340.04 for the NHS (1 and 3-months definitions) increasing with severity (mild: £166.62, moderate: £317.97, severe: £519.62 for the 1-month definition). CONCLUSION: This study confirms that PHN episodes remain frequent and costly sequelae of HZ. Therefore, the future implementation of a prophylactic Zoster vaccine is expected to significantly decrease the economic burden of PHN.