OBJECTIVE: The target of this study is to analyse the cost and the relation cost-effectiveness of different antihypertensive drug therapies. DESIGN: A descriptive study have been followed in a single sample of 216 patients over 14 years old with high blood pressure. They have been studied between 1/7/1995 and 30/6/1996. SETTING: An rural Health Centres. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The cost of the antihypertensive drug therapies were calculated depending of the dosage prescribed and the prizes of 1996. The relation cost-effectiveness was calculated by multiplying the average cost monthly of the drugs therapies by the total number of patients and dividing by patients controlled the average of the last three tests blood pressure < 140/90). The average prize monthly of the drug therapies was 2574 pts for patient, with a std dev of 1965. CONCLUSIONS: The ACE inhibitors and the calcium channel blockers show higher relation cost-effectiveness than the diuretics. Meanwhile the election of antihypertensive drugs therapies must be essentials clinic criterion. We think that the cost of antihypertensives therapies, the effectiveness and the relation cost-effectiveness should be considered by the general practitioners.
OBJECTIVE: The target of this study is to analyse the cost and the relation cost-effectiveness of different antihypertensive drug therapies. DESIGN: A descriptive study have been followed in a single sample of 216 patients over 14 years old with high blood pressure. They have been studied between 1/7/1995 and 30/6/1996. SETTING: An rural Health Centres. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The cost of the antihypertensive drug therapies were calculated depending of the dosage prescribed and the prizes of 1996. The relation cost-effectiveness was calculated by multiplying the average cost monthly of the drugs therapies by the total number of patients and dividing by patients controlled the average of the last three tests blood pressure < 140/90). The average prize monthly of the drug therapies was 2574 pts for patient, with a std dev of 1965. CONCLUSIONS: The ACE inhibitors and the calcium channel blockers show higher relation cost-effectiveness than the diuretics. Meanwhile the election of antihypertensive drugs therapies must be essentials clinic criterion. We think that the cost of antihypertensives therapies, the effectiveness and the relation cost-effectiveness should be considered by the general practitioners.