Economic impact of psoriasis treatment on the patient and on the National Health Service

Personal expenditure arising from psoriasis by patients with mild/moderate chronic plaque psoriasis was assessed before and at the end of randomized treatment in 122 patients treated with calcipotriol for a mean of 12 weeks and in 110 patients treated with dithranol for a mean of 11 weeks. Mean monthly expenditure before calcipotriol treatment was pound 15.23 (median pound 11.00) and was pound 13.54 (median pound 6.00) during calcipotriol treatment. Mean monthly expenditure before dithranol treatment was pound 15.97 (median pound 6.00) and was pound 16.89 (median pound 11.00) during dithranol treatment. When compared with calcipotriol treatment, dithranol treatment tended to result in increased monthly expenditure (P = 0.08), primarily on purchasing new clothing plaque before (P = 0.03) and new bed-linen/towels (P = 0.06). Healthcare resource use by the National Health Service (NHS), in respect of general practitioner (GP) and hospital consultation and treatment, was also assessed for two separate 6-month periods, before (period I) and after (period II) randomized treatment, for 147 calcipotriol-treated and 131 dithranol-treated patients. Patients selected their choice of treatment during period II. Mean healthcare resource use by the NHS in period I was pound 49.65 (median pound 25.79) and was pound 55.61 (median pound 21.39) in period II. Costs were primarily for GP consultations and treatment. The cost of treating psoriasis was greater to the patient than to the NHS.