Abstracts 405 Some academic economists disagree, however, arguing that prospective economic modelling is better than infor- mal opinion. CONCLUSIONS: This study raises doubts about whether pharmacoeconomics has yet had much impact on R&D prioritization. If pharmacoeconomics is to succeed in guid- ing firms towards developing cost effective new products (i.e., ones delivering greater population health gains per unit of cost than existing products), then firms may need stronger incentives to use prospective cost-effectiveness modeling in R&D decisions. PTH5 A COST-MINIMIZATION ANALYSIS OF IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA TREATMENT Vorobiev PA 1 , Gorokhova SG 1 , Avxentieva MV 1 , Kobina SA 2 1 Moscow Medical Academy named after I.M.Sechenov, Moscow, Russia; 2 Rhône-Poulenc Rorer, Moscow, Russia OBJECTIVES: To compare the costs of baseline standard treatment course for iron deficiency anemia with differ- ent Fe ++ -content medicines. METHODS: The model for non-complicated iron defi- ciency anemia treatment was worked out by experts in the field of hematology: a course of 200 mg Fe ++ daily for 28 days. There were 5 Fe ++ -content medicines avail- able in Moscow pharmacies conventionally named H, S, T, F, G with the same suggested clinical effectiveness. Ac- tive Fe ++ amount per tablet, necessary mean dose of drug, mean duration of course treatment, drug price were taken into account. Data on medicine prices was calcu- lated as a mean value according to price-lists of Moscow pharmacies derived from the Internet on April, 20, 1999. RESULTS: The table below shows the results of this cost- minimization analysis. CONCLUSION: The course of treatment for iron defi- ciency anemia with F-drug that is the cheapest really is the most expensive. Cost-saving courses are those with S and G-drugs. Although it is traditionally used in Russia, price per pack shouldn’t be an economical criteria for choice of treatment. PTH6 PATIENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE OUTCOMES OF TREATMENT WITH TOPICAL NSAIDS, RUBIFACIANTS AND ORAL PAIN REMEDIES. A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF MEDICINES AVAILABLE THROUGH COMMUNITY PHARMACIES McNaughton D , Libby G, MacDonald T Medicines Monitoring Unit, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Scotland OBJECTIVES: To examine patients’ attitudes to and expe- riences of NSAIDs, Rubifaciants and oral pain remedies. METHODS: Subjects were recruited in one of 30 phar- macies in Scotland representing rural, semi-rural and ur- ban environments. Subjects who had purchased an Over the Counter medicine from one of three Topical NSAIDs, three Rubifaciants or one of four oral pain remedies were asked to participate in a questionnaire based study. The questionnaire examined pain assessment pre and post treatment, side effects experienced, patients’ expectations of treatment, treatment outcomes, opinion about the rel- ative merits of the three groups of medicines and demo- graphic data about the purchaser. The questionnaires were anonymous but identified the study pharmacy. In- formation about the effectiveness of different rates of re- cruitment was also obtained. After an initial emphasis on pharmacist inducements, the study pharmacist was sta- tioned in the pharmacies and achieved a high rate of re- cruitment and returned questionnaires. RESULTS: Of 430 questionnaires distributed, 302 (70.23%) were returned; 13 patients were excluded due to spoiled questionnaires. Of the remaining 289 patients, 94 (32.5%) purchased Topical NSAIDs, 105 (36.6%) Rubifa- ciants and 90 (31.1%) purchased oral remedies. There was no significant difference between the three groups in pain scores pre and post treatment (p = 0.22). There was a dif- ference in choice of treatment type by age (p = 0.021) with patients aged over 60 more likely to choose a Topical NSAID. Those who suffered symptoms less than once a week and those choosing a Topical NSAID were more likely to be first time users of the study treatment (both p = 0.001). Those in the Topical NSAID group were also more likely to report that they would definitely buy the product again than those in the other treatment groups (p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Initial findings demonstrate a very low level of adverse events and a high rate of satisfaction par- ticularly with Topical NSAIDs as represented by a greater willingness to buy again. PTH7 GLOBAL SCALE VERSUS GENERIC AND DISEASE-SPECIFIC INSTRUMENTS TO MEASURE THE HEALTH STATUS OF PATIENTS WITH ASTHMA Hajiro T , Nishimura K, Tsukino M, Oga T Department of Respiratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan Indicators Conventionally named drugs H S T F G Fe ++ mg/tab 10 100 80 45 100 Equivalent daily dose (200 mg daily) tab 20 2 3 5 2 Price per pack USD* 2.06 3.18 4.42 0.95 1.53 Tablet number per pack 100 50 30 10 30 Price per tablet USD 0.02 0.06 0.15 0.01 0.05 Cost per course of treatment (28 days) 11.5 3.56 12.38 13.3 2.86 USD 4 *Prices in rubles were converted into USD according to the Central Bank rate on April 20, 1999