Economic burden of antimicrobial resistance and inappropriate empiric treatment in Thailand.

Objective: To quantify the economic burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in Thailand and estimate potential savings from improving the rate of appropriate empiric treatment, where effective coverage is provided within the first days of infection. Design: Cost-of-illness study. Methods: A cost-calculator, decision-tree model was developed using published data and records from 3 Thai hospitals for patients hospitalized with antimicrobial-resistant infections between 2015 and 2019. Direct and indirect costs of antimicrobial-resistant infections were assessed over a 5-year time horizon, with outcomes derived separately for cases having received appropriate empiric treatment versus inappropriate empiric treatment. In a real-world scenario, outcomes were estimated using actual rates of inappropriate empiric treatment, and in a hypothetical scenario, outcomes were estimated using decreased rates of inappropriate empiric treatment. Results: Over 5 years, in-hospital antimicrobial-resistant infections produced costs of approximately Thai baht (THB) 66.4 billion (USD 2.1 billion) in the real-world scenario and THB 65.8 billion (USD 2.1 billion) in the hypothetical scenario (0.9% cost savings relative to the real-world scenario). Most costs were attributable to income loss due to in-hospital mortality (real world: THB 53.7 billion [USD 1.7 billion]; 80.9% of costs; hypothetical: THB 53.2 billion [USD 1.7 billion]; 80.8% of costs) and hospitalization (real world: THB 10.3 billion [USD 330.8 million]; 15.5% of costs; hypothetical: THB 10.2 billion [USD 328.9 million]; 15.5% of costs). Conclusions: In-hospital antimicrobial-resistant infections produced a substantial economic toll in Thailand. This public health burden could be reduced with a strategy aimed at decreasing the rate of patients receiving inappropriate empiric treatment.

Clinical and economic outcomes attributable to carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and delayed appropriate antibiotic therapy in hospitalized patients.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of carbapenem resistance and delayed appropriate antibiotic therapy (DAAT) on clinical and economic outcomes among patients with Enterobacterales infection. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary-care medical center in Thailand. Hospitalized patients with Enterobacterales infection were included. Infections were classified as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) or carbapenem-susceptible Enterobacterales (CSE). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to examine the association between CRE with DAAT and 30-day mortality. Generalized linear models were used to examine length of stay (LOS) and in-hospital costs. RESULTS: In total, 4,509 patients with Enterobacterales infection (age, mean 65.2 ±18.7 years; 43.3% male) were included; 627 patients (13.9%) had CRE infection. Among these CRE patients, 88.2% received DAAT. CRE was associated with additional medication costs of $177 (95% confidence interval [CI], 114­239; P < .001) and additional in-hospital costs of $725 (95% CI, 448­1,002; P < .001). Patients with CRE infections had significantly longer LOS and higher mortality rates than patients with CSE infections: attributable LOS, 7.3 days (95% CI, 5.4­9.1; P < .001) and adjusted hazard ratios (aHR), 1.55 (95% CI, 1.26­1.89; P < .001). CRE with DAAT were associated with significantly longer LOS, higher mortality rates, and in-hospital costs. CONCLUSION: CRE and DAAT are associated with worse clinical outcomes and higher in-hospital costs among hospitalized patients in a tertiary-care hospital in Thailand.

Budget Impact of Sequential Treatment with Biologics, Biosimilars, and Targeted Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Thai Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Targeted treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) includes biological DMARDs (bDMARDs) and JAK inhibitors (JAKi). These agents are recommended at the same level on the basis of their efficacy and safety data. However, no local evidence of the impact of RA treatment regimens on total budget spending is available to date. This study aimed to explore the budget impact of different sequential targeted treatments in Thai patients with RA who failed at least three conventional synthetic DMARDs. METHODS: We used the adapted model to evaluate the budget impact of adding tofacitinib in different order to RA targeted treatment regimens. The Thai RA population eligible for treatment was assessed on the basis of local prevalence and experts' opinion. Cost-impact analysis was evaluated for the treatment sequences of four different lines of targeted therapies using inputs like clinical efficacy, safety, and costs. The model used a decision tree structure with treatment nodes corresponding to treatment response outcomes for a cohort of patients. The comparisons included five bDMARDs [etanercept (ETN), infliximab (IFX), golimumab (GOL), rituximab (RTX), tocilizumab (TCZ) intravenous formulation], two JAKi [tofacitinib (TOF) and baricitinib (BAR)], and two IFX biosimilars (PF-06438179/GP1111 and CT-P13). A total of 80 treatment sequences within each containing four sequential first-, second-, third-, and fourth-line options were generated. RESULTS: The findings of the base case scenario indicated the treatment sequence with RTX as first-line, followed by IFX biosimilar (PF-06438179/GP1111), TOF, and TCZ, respectively, produced the lowest budget impact of US $693.54 million. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of our findings. CONCLUSION: The order of targeted therapy starting with RTX, then IFX biosimilar, TOF, and finally TCZ incurred the lowest budget impact over a 5-year time horizon for treating moderate to severe RA. Our findings may help payers and policy makers consider appropriate budget allocation on chronic non-communicable diseases, especially RA.

Budget Impact Analysis of Extended-Release Phenytoin Capsules Compared With Immediate-Release Phenytoin Capsules for Patients With Epilepsy in Thailand.

OBJECTIVES: There was higher frequency of breakthrough seizures during immediate-release phenytoin capsule usage than during extended-release phenytoin capsule usage by epilepsy patients. This study aimed to estimate the total budget of using extended-release phenytoin compared with immediate-release phenytoin capsules. METHODS: A decision tree model was developed for 3 scenarios in Thailand where (1) extended-release phenytoin, (2) immediate-release phenytoin, and (3) both forms, as per the market share, were prescribed. All parameters were derived from the literature reviews and hospital database and analyzed from payer and societal perspectives. RESULTS: Of 95 613 patients receiving phenytoin, the total budget impact of scenarios 1 to 3 ranged from $45 214 915 to $50 209 357, $104 298 093 to $111 846 317, and $61 167 373 to $66 851 336 from payer and societal perspectives, respectively. CONCLUSION: Prescribing extended-release phenytoin showed the lowest total budget impact in Thailand. A healthcare policy recommendation developed from this research would help in solving the antiepileptic drug issue.

Fiscal Impact of Smoking Cessation in Thailand: A Government Perspective Cost-Benefit Analysis.

We evaluate the broader public economic consequences of investments in smoking cessation that change lifetime productivity, which can influence future government tax revenue and social transfer costs and health care spending. The analysis applies a government perspective framework for assessing the intergenerational relationships between morbidity and mortality and lifetime tax revenue and social transfers received. Applying smoking prevalence in Thailand, a cohort model was developed for smoker and former smokers to estimate impact on lifetime direct taxes and tobacco taxes paid. Age-specific earnings for males and wage appropriate tax rates were applied to estimate net taxes for smokers and former smokers. Introducing smoking cessation leads to lifetime public economic benefits of THB13 998 to THB43 356 per person depending on the age of introducing smoking cessation. Factoring in the costs of smoking cessation therapy, an average return on investment of 1.35 was obtained indicating fiscal surplus generated for government from the combined effect of increased tax revenues and of averting smoking-attributable health care costs.