OBJECTIVE: To compare cost-effectiveness of oral iron given and intravenous iron given treatment for anemia patients caused by renal failure. METHODS: One hundred and ninety six hemodialysis patients are divided into two groups in the prospective randomized multicenter clinical trial. The oral group(n=97)patients are prescribed elementary iron(Ferrous Succinate) 600 mg, tid. The other group in=99 use intravenous therapy during the hemodialysis procedure according to the required dosage accounted in advance. And then they are maintained 100 mg per month.RESULTS: The mean cost of the two group is 46714.62 yuan RMB and 46564.52 yuan RMB per year for each patient. The cost of oral group is little higher but there is no significant statistic difference (p>0.050)between groups. The effective rate is 56.7% for the oral group and 86.9% for the other with significant statistic difference (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The intravenous iron given therapy is more cost-effective than the oral iron given therapy in the treatment of hemodialysis patients.