%0 Journal Article
%T Cost
%A Fang Yan
%A Peiqi Jia
%A Qingzhi Huang
%A Wendong Chen
%A Xin Ma
%A Yang Yang
%A Yun Chen
%J International Journal of Social Psychiatry
%@ 1741-2854
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0020764018815200
%X Beijing municipal government launched a Free Drug Program (FDP) in 2013 to reduce the financial burden of schizophrenia patients. To assess the cost-effectiveness of a FDP designed for schizophrenia patients in Beijing, China. In all, 2007 schizophrenia patients enrolled in an FDP (FDP group) and 2001 schizophrenia patients who were not enrolled (non-FDP group) were randomly selected for a cross-sectional survey in August 2015. The study sought to develop a cost-effectiveness model to assess the FDP from the societal perspective in Beijing, China. Scenario analyses explored the potential strategies to further improve the cost-effectiveness of the FDP. The FDP group was associated with lower socioeconomic status and more advanced disease than the non-FDP group (unemployment rate: 48.8% vs 37.3%, p£¿<£¿.001; disability rate: 91.2% vs 64.1%, p£¿<£¿.001; overall comorbidity rate: 34.9% vs 28.8%, p£¿<£¿.001). The two groups exhibited similar disease severity and quality of life. However, the FDP group was associated with significantly lower direct medical costs (coefficient ¨C.342, p£¿=£¿.003) and indirect costs (coefficient ¨C.473, p£¿<£¿.001) than the non-FDP group. The base case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per gained quality-adjusted life year (QALY) for the FDP group relative to the non-FDP group was 1.480 times of 2015 China¡¯s gross domestic product per capita. Home drug delivery and long-lasting injection treatment could reduce the ICER for the FDP group relative to the non-FDP group by 57.8% and 29.8%, respectively. The FDP was attractive to schizophrenia patients with lower socioeconomic status and more advanced disease. The cost-effectiveness of the FDP was acceptable and could be further improved by home drug delivery and long-lasting injection treatment
%K Free Drug Program
%K schizophrenia
%K survey
%K cost-effectiveness
%K Beijing
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0020764018815200