Abstracts by keywords: basal insulin
The aim of the present analysis is to compare treatment costs between insulin-glargine and NPH-insulin-based therapies in patients with diabetes mellitus. Using a representative sample of health insurance data, simultaneous co-medication in the indication groups bolus insulin, oral antidiabetics, test strips and lancets/needles over three calendar years was determined for a total of six payers. During the analysis period (2006 - 2008), the aggregated absolute annual treatment costs per diabetes patient for insulin glargine-based therapies tended to be slightly below the costs of the respective NPH comparison groups. The analysis of the individual costs shows that the higher procurement costs for insulin glargine are overcompensated by savings in bolus insulin and test strip consumption. The present database analysis confirms the results of previously published health care research studies, according to which, from the perspective of statutory health insurance (GKV), there is a cost-neutrality between insulin glargine and NPH insulin-based treatment regimens under real care conditions.
