The disabling nature and lifelong impact of multiple sclerosis (MS) imposes considerable socioeconomic burden despite its relative low prevalence compared to other chronic diseases. This is the first study of MS in the Slovak Republic that provides information about healthcare and social expenditures including costs of productivity loss caused by reduced work capacity of patients with MS. Retrospectively direct and indirect costs of MS were investigated by prevalence based "bottomup" approach. The societal and health insurance perspective was used to perform the overall economic burden caused by MS in Slovakia. The human capital method was used for the calculation of indirect costs, as this is the most common method applied in published studies. As not all detailed data on expenditures were available, the missing data were collected in the retrospective patient research. Total annual costs in 2010 for 6.100 dispensed patients with MS in Slovakia were €54.723.592. Indirect costs (€31.728.757) prevailed over direct costs (€22.994.834). The highest part of both costs were €25.207.512 and €12.641.052 for loss productivity due to patients sickness and invalidity pensions and diseasemodifying drugs respectively. The average cost per patient independently of disease severity was €8.971. MS causes a high economic burden, with a strong predominance of indirect costs. Documenting and quantifying this burden among patients with MS in different disease stages through costofillness study can lead to better disease management and it can provide valuable information for future cost analysis and for decisionmaking process.

Comenius University Bratislava

General Health Insurance Bratislava

PharmIn company s r o Bratislava

Economic burden of multiple sclerosis in Slovakia [elektronický zdroj] /

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