Socioeconomic relationship in basal treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Rovenský J., *Foltán V., Rybár I., Orlovská M., Gregušková K., Mateicka F., Rovenská E., j. r.

Research Institute of Rheumatic Diseases, Pieštany, *Faculty of Pharmacy Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.

50^th Anniversary, EULAR 97, 10^th Symposium - Vienna, Austria - November 19-22, 1997 - ISSN 1021-8564
published in Revmatology in Europe 1997, Vol. 26, Suppl. 2, Abst. 531.1, pp. 130 - ISSN 1021-8580

348 KA (3-13-3)

According to the WHO information, diseases of musculoskeletal system belong among the most frequent ones. The care for the patients affected by these diseases constitutes approximately 12%-25 % from the total effective physicain time spent by medical care. In the Slovak Republic it annually affects 11% - 12% of the working population, in total 8000-9000 people. More than 4 mil. working days are lost due to these diseases. Their impacts in the forms of partial or permanent disability, are, however, much more important than their socio-economic burden. Disability pension for the people affected by diseases of musculoskeletal system constitutes 13-15% of total disability pension paid. Other data underline the severity of these diseases and their impact to population as well:

practically 30% of pouplation have musculoskeletal symptoms,
20% of population perceive these problems as a social and health handicap,
5-10% of population suffers from a form of physical disability,
0,5% of population is due to severe disability dependent on another person in everday care,
0,2% dies due to these diseases.

In the Slovak Republic the economic burden resulting from the indicators given above annually represents several billions, not taking into account the intangible burdens affecting the quality of life of people suffering from these diseases, social impact on their relatives and friends and their own mental and emotional status. Epidemiological situation in the area of rheumatic diseases, constituting the most substantial disorders of the musculoskeletal system is directly reflected in the drug consumption. There is a causal relation between morbidity and drug consumption which can be utilised in planning the social and economical measures. Based on the evaluation of indicative relation disease-therapy, via the profiles of basal and combined pharmacotherapy reflection in RA utilising the methods of socio-economic analysis, several views of the given topic can be presented.