Actual cost of providing long-acting reversible contraception: a study of Implanon cost.

BACKGROUND: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has judged Implanon to be the most cost effective of the long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods, and its cost effectiveness is enhanced with increased duration of use. Gwent Sexual and Reproductive Health service provides unrestricted use of Implanon, and with the number of implants fitted increasing annually the service wanted to know how long clients were keeping their contraceptive implants in and the cost of implant provision. METHODS: The actual cost of providing Implanon was calculated in a cohort of 493 patients within a community-based sexual and reproductive health service, and compared to that predicted in the NICE Clinical Guideline 30 on LARC. RESULTS: The annual cost for the method (using Implanon) was pound77.49, 25% lower than the estimate made by NICE, despite a shorter duration of use of the method. CONCLUSION: The actual cost in this community-based sexual and reproductive health service may not be transferable to other settings such as general practice.

The cost-effectiveness of a long-acting reversible contraceptive (Implanon) relative to oral contraception in a community setting.

BACKGROUND: Within the setting of a UK community sexual health service, the cost-effectiveness of Implanon and oral contraception provision over a 36-month period was compared. STUDY DESIGN: A case-controlled retrospective cost-effectiveness study was done on a cohort of 493 Implanon users and 493 oral contraceptive users. The actual cost of provision of both methods was calculated. Cost-effectiveness was calculated based on provision of method and pregnancy costs of each cohort. RESULTS: Implanon provision is more cost-effective than oral contraception at all time points. After 12 months of use, Implanon is half the cost of oral contraception. Oral contraception reached similar annual cost to Implanon at 36 months of use. CONCLUSIONS: Long-acting reversible contraception is perceived to be expensive. It is reassuring to contraception providers that Implanon is, in fact, highly cost-effective when compared to oral contraception with typical use.