THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF AN EXTENDED COURSE (12+12 WEEKS) OF VARENICLINE PLUS BRIEF COUNSELLING COMPARED WITH OTHER REIMBURSED SMOKING CESSATION INTERVENTIONS IN BELGIUM, FROM A PUBLIC PAYER PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of an extended (12+12 weeks) course of varenicline plus brief counselling compared with the currently reimbursed smoking cessation interventions (in combination with brief counselling) in Belgium, from a public payer perspective.

Methods: The previously published version of the BENESCO model which included the extended course of varenicline was updated with recent publically available demographic and cost data from Belgium.

Results: The extended course of varenicline plus brief counselling has an incremental cost per quality adjusted life year gained of 1101€ compared with a non-extended 12-week course of varenicline (plus brief counselling). The extended course of varenicline dominates all other comparators in this analysis.

Conclusions: The extended course of varenicline (12 weeks followed by 12 weeks maintenance therapy in successful quitters) plus brief counselling is a highly cost-effective alternative to a non-extended (12 weeks only) course of varenicline plus brief counselling. This strategy dominates the other alternative smoking cessation interventions currently reimbursed in Belgium.

Keywords:

• cost-effectiveness
• extended course
• maintenance therapy
• varenicline
• smoking cessation
• Belgium