Direct healthcare costs of patients with type 2 diabetes using long-acting insulin analogues or NPH insulin in a basal insulin-only regimen.

Abstract

To compare direct healthcare costs incurred by patients with type 2 diabetes in Denmark prescribed long-acting insulin analogues (LAIA) or intermediate-acting human insulin (NPH) in a basal-only regimen. Demographic and socio-economic patient characteristics, hospital utilisation data, primary care visits, specialist physician visits and prescription data were extracted from registers covering the Danish population. Patients receiving basal insulin were identified during a 1-year inclusion period (2005) and allocated to a LAIA (n=303) or NPH group (n=8523). LAIA patients were then matched with NPH patients using propensity scores based on observable covariates. Annual direct healthcare costs were determined during a <2-year analysis period (2005-2006). Direct healthcare costs, including prescription costs, were equivalent between groups. However, while most cost items were similar between groups, ambulatory visit costs were significantly lower in LAIA-treated patients (p=0.03), whereas insulin pharmacy costs were significantly lower in NPH-treated patients (p<0.001). There was no difference in direct healthcare costs between patients using LAIAs or NPH insulin.