Characteristics and analysis of the costs of drug provision of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Moscow

Introduction. The change in the classical etiological paradigm of hepatocellular carcinoma has led to the fact that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is now the fastest growing cause of hepatocellular carcinoma in the world.

Purpose. To study the range of medicines and analyze the costs of drug provision for a determined population of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Moscow over a three-year period.

Materials and methods. Based on data from the Moscow Department of Health on preferential drug coverage for the period from 2019 to 2021 the range of drug therapy and the economic costs.

Results. For 3 years, seventeen thousand two hundred ten patients with a diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease received preferential drug coverage in Moscow, and the amount of costs minus payment by the patient amounted to 49,102,963.97 rubles. The most prescribed drugs were drugs from the group of “hepatoprotectors”. An increase in the population of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease over a three-year period by 1.7 times, an increase in the cost of its drug provision. Along with this, the prevalence in the spectrum of drugs was revealed: glycyrrhizic acid + phospholipids; phospholipids; ursodeoxycholic acid; ademetionine is not found in international practice and is not funded under the nosology “non-alcoholic fatty liver disease”.

Limitations. When studying options for drug provision of patients with non -alcoholic fatty liver disease, we had an assessment of 17,210 observations, which is a sufficient reference sample.

Conclusion. Analysis of the qualitative and quantitative composition of the population of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease can be an effective tool for predicting the social and economic burden of the disease and can be used for rational planning of budget expenditures of all levels.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study does not require the submission of the conclusion of the Biomedical Ethics Committee.

Contribution of the authors:
Kornilova E.B. — concept, research design, collection and processing of material, writing text, compiling a list of references;
Kholovnya-Voloskova M.E. — concept and design of research, writing text, statistical data processing.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of its final version.

Acknowledgment. The study had no sponsorship.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest. 

Received: July 18, 2022 
Accepted: September 07, 2022
Published: December 12, 2022