[Analysis of the budget impact for the Spanish National Health System of the fixed combination of amlodipine 5 or 10mg and atorvastatin 10mg].

Objective: To carry out a Budget Impact Analysis (BIA) of the inclusion of the administration, within the Spanish National Health System (SNS), of the fixed combination (FC) of amlodipine 5 or 10mg and atorvastatin 10mg for approved indications.
Materials and Methods: A BIA was carried out from the SNS perspective for a 3 year period (2009-2011). A tree type decision model was designed (tree of patients), based on epidemiological data and scientific literature, to estimate the hypertensive population that could be treated with a FC. The total per annum BIA was calculated by attributing the retail price- VAT of the FC to the number of patients to be treated, and deducting the cost of the treatment for hypertension that was replaced and the updated average cost per patient of cardiovascular events (CVEs) prevented by the use of the FC by the SNS during the period of study.
Results: The patient population susceptible to treatment with the FC was 51,104 patients (1(st) year), with a growth rate of between 1-2% over the following years, which means an annual cost (euro) of 15.9M (2009), 19.9M (2010) and 24.1M (2011), with a total of 60.0M. The BIA was compensated showing negative impact values for the SNS when the cost of replaced antihypertensive treatment and prevented CVEs was deducted, with savings of euro69.9M over 3 years.
Conclusion: The BIA of a FC of atorvastatin and amlodipine shows that the use of this medication for approved indications could generate net savings for the SNS of euro9.9M for the period 2009-2011.
(Copyright © 2009 SEFH. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)