Methods:
A retrospective observational study was conducted on 105 out of 233 patients suffering
from chronic respiratory disease attending the Homeopathic Clinic of the Campo di
Marte Hospital in Lucca (Tuscany, Italy) between October 1998 and May 2003. We assessed
the cost of conventional medicinal products using Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical (ATC)
classification, specific for the pathology in question, and the general costs in the
year preceding the first appointment at the Homeopathic Clinic vs. the first and second year subsequent to homeopathic treatment. The costs of conventional
drugs for a group of patients affected by asthma (8 patients) and recurrent respiratory
infections (16 patients) with long term use of conventional medicine treated by homeopathy
were compared with the expenses of conventional drugs of a matched group of 16 and
32 patients, respectively.
Results:
Costs of pharmacological therapy specific for respiratory diseases were reduced by
46.3% (n = 105) in the first year (P < 0.01); and by 47.5% (n = 72) in the second year (P < 0.01) of homeopathic treatment. Reduction in general drug costs during homeopathic
therapy was 42.4% in the first year (P < 0.01); and −49.8 in the second year (N.S.). Costs for patients affected by chronic
asthma showed a reduction in expenses of 71.1% for specific medicines relative to
the group in homeopathic treatment vs. an increase of 12.3% in the group treated only with conventional drugs after the
first year of follow-up and, respectively, a reduction of −54.4% for homeopathic treatment
vs. +45.2% after the second year. For patients with recurrent respiratory infections
we found a reduction of 35.8% in the homeopathic group in the first year, compared
to an increase 8.6% of costs for specific drugs in the control group; in the second
year the respective figures were −43.6% versus +7.8% in the control group.
Conclusions:
Homeopathic treatment for respiratory diseases (asthma, allergic complaints, Acute
Recurrent Respiratory Infections) was associated with a significant reduction in the
use and costs of conventional drugs. Costs for homeopathic therapy are significantly
lower than those for conventional pharmacological therapy.
Keywords
respiratory disease - asthma - recurrent respiratory infections - allergy - drug consumption
- cost effectiveness - public sector - Italy - homeopathy
