Resource Use and Costs Related to Hematological Complications of Chemotherapy: Cost of Illness Study Based on Data from Balkan Country with Recent History of Socioeconomic Transition

BACKGROUND: The administration of chemotherapy positively correlates with diverse adverse drug reactions, including the significant impact of hematological hazards such as anemia, leukopenia-neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and pancytopenia. This pilot pharmacoeconomic study aimed to estimate the total direct costs of treating hematological toxicity induced by chemotherapy and its main determinants. METHODS: The study was conducted as a retrospective cost of illness study using the “from bottom to the top” approach from the perspective of the Republic Health Insurance Fund. This study included 88 patients treated due to developing at least one episode of one of the types of hematological complications of cytostatics in 2018 at the Oncology Clinic of the University Clinical Center Kragujevac, Kragujevac, the Republic of Serbia. RESULTS: Among cancer patients who developed haematological toxicity, treating pancytopenia was most demanding in a pharmacoeconomic manner compared to neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, with an estimated value of direct costs of 264,14, 178,19 and 157,76 euros per patient per year respectively. Regarding total direct costs, the main determinants were the costs of drugs, their parenteral administration, and costs due to hospitalization. CONCLUSION: Due to the rising cancer incidence and obligatory hospital treatment of hematological toxicity induced by chemotherapy, the identification of the pharmacoeconomic aspects of the treatment of these complications is needed. Future research should focus on the development of new modalities of treatment regarding patient characteristics anticipating high costs.