Experts examine the economic burdens on the health care system, payers, and patients, based on associated costs with dry eye disease.
This is a video synopsis/summary of a Stakeholder Summit involving:
Ryan Haumschild, PharmD, MS, MBA; Jai G. Parekh, MD, MBA; and Alexander Kabiri, OD.
Haumschild asks about payer criteria for formulary additions. Kabiri states efficacy and costs are key. A costly product lacking incremental efficacy gains little traction. However, a well-tolerated treatment working quickly in a large patient subset despite somewhat higher costs can merit adoption. Haumschild notes such agents balance clinical and economic factors.
Parekh discusses a study showing that the annual per-patient societal costs of dry eye disease are around $11,000, far above the payer cost of $800. He states the payer cost reflects their limited scope. Societal costs encompass patient work and activity impairment. As an example, he notes airline staff temporarily unable to work due to dry eye symptoms. Broader economic impacts are not captured in isolated payer cost analyses.
Haumschild subsequently asks about mitigating the systemic burden of dry eye disease. Kabiri reiterates education around the heterogeneous nature of dry eye subtypes. Evaporative dry eye represents a distinct condition warranting dedicated management rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Aligning patient expectations and payer policies to this reality can promote better adherence, outcomes, and costs.
Video synopsis is AI-generated and reviewed by AJMCÒ editorial staff.
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