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At-Home UVB Therapy vs.
Systemic Therapies
Calculating the
Lifetime Cost of Care Compared to Other Therapies
Excerpted from Skin and Aging,
Vol 13, Issue 7_2005, July 2005, Pages 50-52
Authors: Yelverton
C, Kulkarni A, Balkrishnan R, & Feldman S.
Read article
Published studies have indicated that efficacy [of NB-UVB
phototherapy] is nearly 80% for treating psoriasis. Researchers compared
lifetime cost and therapy regimens.
The Findings:
Home UVB phototherapy had the least expensive lifetime cost at about $7,100 for a 30-year
course of treatment (see Table 1). Table 2 compares treatment
protocols. Insurers should
reduce disincentives to phototherapy treatment, and should encourage
physicians to make greater use of home phototherapy treatment options.
At-home treatments with NB-UVB phototherapy can offer a convenient, cost-effective
and efficacious choice for treatment of psoriasis.
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TABLE 1. HOW THE
TREATMENT COSTS COMPARE |
|
Treatment |
Annual Drug Cost |
Annual Treatment Administration |
Annual Laboratory |
Annual Follow-up |
Present Value of 30-year Course of
Treatment |
| Home UVB |
None |
$2,150
|
None |
$195 |
$7,085 |
| PUVA |
$398 |
$412 |
$241 |
$390 |
$19,102 |
| Methotrexate |
$816 |
$1,410 |
None |
$195 |
$37,591 |
| Acitretin |
$4,471 |
None |
$137 |
$293 |
$75,113 |
| Alefacept |
$10 ,702 |
None |
$73 |
$293 |
$171,915 |
| Efalizumab |
$16,198 |
None |
$9 |
$390 |
$257,684 |
| Adalimumab |
$17,818 |
None |
$9 |
$293 |
$281,282 |
|
Etanercept |
$17,910 |
$406 |
$1,597 |
$293 |
$319,356 |
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TABLE 2. TREATMENTS PROTOCOLS AT A GLANCE |
|
Treatment |
How Administered |
Dosage |
Treatment
Frequency |
Labs |
Follow-up
(per year) |
| Home UVB |
N/A |
6 Minutes |
Every Other Day |
None |
Four Times |
| PUVA |
Oral |
40 mg |
30 Treatments per Year |
None |
Four Times |
| Methotrexate |
Oral (Tablet) |
15 mg |
Weekly |
CBC & LFT
8 Times/yr |
Eight Times |
| Acitretin |
Oral |
25 mg |
Daily |
Lipids&LFT
4 Times/yr |
Six Times |
| Alefacept |
Intramuscular
(In Office) |
15 mg |
18 Treatments per Year |
CD4 Count with Each
Injection |
Six Times |
| Efalizumab |
Subcutaneous |
75 mg |
Weekly |
CBC
6 Times/yr |
Six Times |
| Adalimumab |
Subcutaneous |
40 mg |
Every Other Week |
PPD at
Initiation |
Six Times |
|
Etanercept |
Subcutaneous |
50 mg |
Weekly |
PPD at Initiation |
Eight Times |
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