Pharmacoeconomics of antifungal therapy: Current considerations

Purpose of review Invasive fungal infections are a significant cause of morbidity, mortality, and rising healthcare costs. An increasing number of antifungal agents are available to manage these infections, and many of these have a high acquisition price. However, the more important consideration when choosing among therapeutic agents is the overall cost of treating these infections. Recent findings Both traditional and newer antifungal agents are available for the prevention and treatment of invasive fungal infections. Various pharmacoeconomic strategies have been used to evaluate the cost of invasive fungal infections and the relative economic benefits of the different antifungal therapies. The high cost of treating these infections is primarily driven by length of hospital stay and nature of the underlying disease. Inadequate or delayed therapy is associated with worse clinical outcomes and longer lengths of stay, both of which drive up costs of care. A growing number of pharmacoeconomic studies explore the comparative costs of antifungal therapies for invasive infections focusing on differences in treatment choice. An important consideration is that drug costs may be a relatively small percentage of the total treatment-related healthcare costs, and more expensive agents may be more costeffective than agents with lower acquisition prices that may be less effective or more toxic. Summary Cost is an increasingly important consideration in antifungal drug selection. Emerging data point to drivers of treatment-related costs and the relative economic benefits of some regimens. Determining the best strategy for one's own institution includes a careful analysis of local epidemiology and drug use trends in addition to information from the published literature in order to make the most appropriate evidence-based decision. © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Duke Scholars

Author Elizabeth Dodds Ashley Medicine, Infectious Diseases