Cost of treating peripheral neuropathic pain with pregabalin or gabapentin at therapeutic doses in routine practice

Abstract

Aim: To analyze the cost of peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP) treatment with pregabalin or gabapentin at therapeutic doses in routine clinical practice. Methods: Analysis of a retrospective, observational study of electronic medical records of patients treated for PNP with therapeutic doses of pregabalin or gabapentin, with 2 years’ follow-up, considering PNP type, comorbidities, concomitant analgesia and resource use. Results: The weighted total average cost/patient was lower for pregabalin than gabapentin (€2464 [2197–2730] vs €3142 [2670–3614]; p = 0.014) due to significantly lower both healthcare and non-healthcare costs. This is explained by a significantly lower use of concomitant analgesia, fewer primary care visits and fewer days of sick leave. Conclusion: At therapeutic doses, pregabalin was found to have lower healthcare and non-healthcare costs than gabapentin in routine practice.