Economic evaluation of human papilloma virus vaccination in the European Union: a critical review.

The human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine is a new and expensive vaccine potentially effective in the prevention of a cancer. We reviewed the economic evaluations (EEs) on the vaccine in the EU to assess their potential contribution to public decision-making in a fairly homogeneous setting where HPV vaccination has been widely adopted. A literature search on PubMed selected EEs on HPV vaccines in the EU for the period 2007-2010 using the terms "HPV vaccines" and "Costs and cost analysis.

Continuing Medical Education in six European countries: a comparative analysis.

Objective: We examined Continuing Medical Education (CME) systems in a sample of six EU countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Norway, and the UK. The aim of this comparative study was to assess the main country-specific institutional settings applied by governments.

Methods: A common scheme of analysis was applied to investigate the following variables: (i) CME institutional framework; (ii) benefits and/or penalties to participants; (iii) types of CME activities and system of credits; (iv) accreditation of CME providers and events; (v) CME funding and sponsorship.

A critical review of the full economic evaluations of pharmacological treatments for colorectal cancer.

Objective: This literature review makes a critical assessment of the methodology of the full economic evaluations (FEEs) conducted on colorectal cancer (CRC) pharmacological treatments.

Method: A literature search of the international databases PubMed and EMBASE was carried out to find all the studies published in the English language on pharmacological treatments for CRC in the period 2001-2005. A checklist was adopted to analyse the 13 FEEs selected.

Cost minimisation analysis of 12 or 24 weeks of peginterferon alfa-2b + ribavirin for hepatitis C virus.

Background: Pegylated interferon and ribavirin are at present the standard treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients.

Objective: The present economic evaluation compared 12 vs. 24 weeks of peginterferon alfa-2b + ribavirin treatments for HCV genotypes 2 or 3.

A critical review of the full economic evaluations of pharmacological treatments for glaucoma.

Objective: This literature review aimed to critically assess the 'state of the art' of the full economic evaluations (FEEs) on glaucoma pharmacological treatments. This is the first review that tries to thoroughly assess both costs and consequences of pharmacoeconomic evaluations on glaucoma.

Methods: A literature search was done on the international databases PubMed and EMBASE, to find all the studies published in English on pharmacological treatments for glaucoma in the period 1997-2006.

Pricing and reimbursement of in-patent drugs in seven European countries: a comparative analysis.

The main objective of this comparative analysis was to assess regulations applied by EU governments to reward potentially innovative drugs. We focused on the pharmaceutical policy for in-patent drugs in seven EU countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK. A common scheme was applied to all seven countries: first, pricing and reimbursement procedures for new and innovative drugs were investigated; secondly, we focused on the use in the regulatory process of economic evaluations.

A review of the costs of managing childhood epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a chronic treatable condition for which new diagnostic tools and several new drugs and non-pharmacological treatments are now available. The cost profile of these options is assessed here through an overview of the available literature focusing on studies of childhood epilepsy. Several methodological problems arise when interpreting the results of economic studies in epilepsy, including the variability of the study population and costs items, the reliability of the sources of cost, the limitations of the methods of data collection and the deficiencies of the study designs, with reference to the measures of treatment benefits.

Economic evaluations in Italy: a review of the literature.

Objectives: To review the economic evaluations (EEs) done in Italy by Italian authors, following a common scheme to allow some comparisons of the studies selected and with the international reviews.

Methods: We selected all the original studies published by Italian authors (in Italian or English) in national and international journals. The period considered was January 1994 to December 2001.