Steven D Pinkerton1. 1. Center for AIDS Intervention Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, 2071 North Summit Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA. pinkrton@mcw.edu
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Vancouver's Insite supervised injection facility and syringe exchange programs are cost-saving--that is, are the savings due to averted HIV-related medical care costs sufficient to offset Insite's operating costs? METHODS: The analyses examined the impact of Insite's programs for a single year. Mathematical models were used to calculate the number of additional HIV infections that would be expected if Insite were closed. The life-time HIV-related medical costs associated with these additional infections were compared to the annual operating costs of the Insite facility. RESULTS: If Insite were closed, the annual number of incident HIV infections among Vancouver IDU would be expected to increase from 179.3 to 262.8. These 83.5 preventable infections are associated with $17.6 million (Canadian) in life-time HIV-related medical care costs, greatly exceeding Insite's operating costs, which are approximately $3 million per year. CONCLUSIONS: Insite's safe injection facility and syringe exchange program substantially reduce the incidence of HIV infection within Vancouver's IDU community. The associated savings in averted HIV-related medical care costs are more than sufficient to offset Insite's operating costs.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Vancouver's Insite supervised injection facility and syringe exchange programs are cost-saving--that is, are the savings due to averted HIV-related medical care costs sufficient to offset Insite's operating costs? METHODS: The analyses examined the impact of Insite's programs for a single year. Mathematical models were used to calculate the number of additional HIV infections that would be expected if Insite were closed. The life-time HIV-related medical costs associated with these additional infections were compared to the annual operating costs of the Insite facility. RESULTS: If Insite were closed, the annual number of incident HIV infections among Vancouver IDU would be expected to increase from 179.3 to 262.8. These 83.5 preventable infections are associated with $17.6 million (Canadian) in life-time HIV-related medical care costs, greatly exceeding Insite's operating costs, which are approximately $3 million per year. CONCLUSIONS: Insite's safe injection facility and syringe exchange program substantially reduce the incidence of HIV infection within Vancouver's IDU community. The associated savings in averted HIV-related medical care costs are more than sufficient to offset Insite's operating costs.
Authors: Kora DeBeck; Tessa Cheng; Julio S Montaner; Chris Beyrer; Richard Elliott; Susan Sherman; Evan Wood; Stefan Baral Journal: Lancet HIV Date: 2017-05-14 Impact factor: 12.767