[Epidemiological and economic aspects of chelating therapy in the therapeutic center of thalassemia in Morocco]. / Aspects épidémiologiques et économiques des traitements chélateurs au centre thérapeutique de la thalassémie au Maroc.

The study aims to give a general idea about the new experience of chelating drugs among beta-thalassemia patients. It is a declarative survey. It was done in the therapy center of Morocco. Statistics were done in the Laboratory of Biological Essays in Kenitra. All economic and pharmacological data were given by Novartis. Sample size was 89. The only treatment available now in the therapy center is deferiprone. 78% of patients attending the service regularly take deferiprone as treatment while 13% of them combine deferiprone and deferoxamine. Most of the patients take treatments regularly. Chelators have reduced mortality. Patients taking deferoxamine experienced injection site reactions. Most of ADR due to deferiprone were digestive. In conclusion, the main problem with chelators in Morocco is lack of accessibility to drugs (except for some patients insured or payant).