Direct healthcare costs of patients with type 2 diabetes using long-acting insulin analogues or NPH insulin in a basal insulin-only regimen

AimsTo compare direct healthcare costs incurred by patients with type 2 diabetes in Denmark prescribed long-acting insulin analogues (LAIA) or intermediate-acting human insulin (NPH) in a basal-only regimen.MethodsDemographic and socio-economic patient characteristics, hospital utilisation data, primary care visits, specialist physician visits and prescription data were extracted from registers covering the Danish population. Patients receiving basal insulin were identified during a 1-year inclusion period (2005) and allocated to a LAIA (n = 303) or NPH group (n = 8523). LAIA patients were then matched with NPH patients using propensity scores based on observable covariates. Annual direct healthcare costs were determined during a <2-year analysis period (2005–2006).ResultsDirect healthcare costs, including prescription costs, were equivalent between groups. However, while most cost items were similar between groups, ambulatory visit costs were significantly lower in LAIA-treated patients (p = 0.03), whereas insulin pharmacy costs were significantly lower in NPH-treated patients (p < 0.001).ConclusionThere was no difference in direct healthcare costs between patients using LAIAs or NPH insulin.