A Direct Oral Anticoagulant as a Cost Effective Alternative to Warfarin for Treatment of Provoked Venous Thrombosis

• Published in: Irish medical journal Vol. 109; no. 9; p. 466
• Main Authors: Courtney, W, Groarke, E, Conway, J, Conway, E, Bourke, D, Saunders, J, Watts, M, O'Keefe, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland 12.10.2016
• Subjects: Anticoagulants - administration & dosage; Anticoagulants - economics; Costs and Cost Analysis; Drug Costs; Factor Xa Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Factor Xa Inhibitors - economics; Female; Humans; Ireland; Male; Rivaroxaban - administration & dosage; Rivaroxaban - economics; Secondary Prevention - economics; Venous Thrombosis - drug therapy; Venous Thrombosis - etiology; Warfarin - administration & dosage; Warfarin - economics
• ISSN: 0332-3102

In Ireland, Warfarin is the primary anticoagulant prescribed in the secondary prevention of provoked DVT. We completed a comprehensive cost analysis of a trial group of 24 patients treated with Rivaroxaban (between November 2013 and December 2014), versus a control group treated with Warfarin (between January 2008 and November 2013). The groups were matched for gender (3/7 M/F ratio), DVT type (5 proximal, 19 distal DVTs), provoking factor (20 traumatic, 4 atraumatc), and age. We calculated the cost for each group based on drug administration and clinic costs (labour, sample analysis, and additional costs). Warfarin patients attended clinic 14.58 times; Rivaroxaban patients attended 2.92 times. Overall, the cost per patient on Rivaroxaban is €273.30 versus €260.68 with warfarin. This excludes patient costs which would further increase cost of Warfarin therapy.