COST OF FEBRILE NEUTROPENIA TREATMENT IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Febrile neutropenia is common chemotherapy complication significantly impacting patient’s outcomes, quality of life and costs, too. Febrile neutropenia (FN) often leads to hospitalization, the need for intravenous antibiotics and use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (GCSF) in order to avoid its complications. Cost of febrile neutropenia is well described in literature, but no study has been performed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have conducted observational cohort study with aim to describe and present costs of FN treatment from payers’ (provider’s) perspective. Only direct medical costs from one middle-sized oncology Clinic in Bosnia and Herzegovina database have been included and presented. We found that overall cost in five months period (January-May 2015) were almost 30.000 euros, or 1.0035 euro per episode/patient in average. The highest cost are allocated to hospitalization (40%), followed by GCSF (36%), while rest of costs are generated by laboratory tests performed and drug application. Proportion of costs is in line with other published studies even with huge differences in absolute values, mainly to low prices of services in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was the first study on costs of chemotherapy induced FN in Bosnia and Herzegovina suggesting that significant costs are inquired by this conditions and that further research should be performed including larger patient population and other clinical oncology data, including pharmacoeconomic analysis.