Vol.65 No.2 March 2017
Investigation of medical economic effect of new oral antimicrobial agents on pediatric acute otitis media
1)Otolaryngology and Sensory Center, Fujisawa Goshomi Hospital and Goshomi General Clinic, Specified Medical Corporation Group-Practice Institute, 580 Osogo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
2)Toyama Chemical Co. Ltd.
Abstract
With the rapid growing of the elderly population and the development of advanced medical care in recent years, the sharp rise in medical expenses in Japan has sparked public debate. Therefore, a great deal of attention needs to be paid regarding a cost-conscious medical practice.
In a previous study, we reported on the investigation into the disease-related burden of pediatric acute otitis media (AOM) and the estimated medical economic effect of the introduction of the pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate vaccine. In this study, we employed the analytic model of treatment of pediatric AOM in reference to the previously reported decision trees in order to investigate the medical economic effect of new oral antimicrobial agents on pediatric AOM; the medical care costs and the production losses for parents. Our results indicated that the use of new oral antimicrobial agents was expected to reduce the medical care costs by 12.18 billion yen and the production losses by 7.88 billion yen, compared to existing antimicrobial agents.
The new oral antimicrobial agents show excellent effectiveness in preventing refractory pediatric AOM, but from the standpoint of preventing the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, these antimicrobial agents must be used appropriately. The appropriate use of antimicrobial agents means more than simply reducing the use of these agents, but using these agents taking the advantages of reducing the burden for pediatric patients and their families into consideration, with economic efficiency, while at the same time bearing in mind the disadvantages of adverse effects and the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria. We conclude that the appropriate use of treatment with the new oral antimicrobial agents contribute greatly to a reduction in medical expenses.
Key word
acute otitis media, new oral antimicrobial agent, tosufloxacin tosilate hydrate, tebipenem pivoxil, medical economics
Received
December 12, 2016
Accepted
January 13, 2017
Jpn. J. Chemother. 65 (2): 192-205, 2017
