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Fragility fracture care costs EU €37 billion in annual health care costs
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A new report from the International Osteoporosis Foundation and European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industry Associations concluded it cost €37 billion in 2010 to treat osteoporotic fragility fractures and as the age of the Europe Union’s population increases, these costs will continue to increase.
“It is apparent that Europe’s health authorities must make provision in their health care planning to deal with the increase in fractures and associated disability,” Juliet Compston, MD, FRCP, FRCpath FMedSci, professor of bone medicine at the University of Cambridge and chair of the European Osteoporosis Consultation Panel, stated in a press release. “Key elements of any national strategy must include the better implementation of national guidelines, the establishment of fracture liaison services to identify high-risk patients, and improvement of adherence to proven cost-effective treatment by patients.”
According to the report, approximately 22 million women and 5.5 million men in the European Union (EU) have osteoporosis and 3.5 million new osteoporotic fractures are reported every year. Of the €37 billion used to treat these fractures, new fractures represented 66% of this cost, with long-term fracture cases and pharmacological prevention occupying 29% and 5% of the cost, respectively.
The cost of treating fragility fractures is expected to increase by 25% from 2010 to 2025, according to the report. Although there is an increase in the number of people who require treatment, the number of people receiving treatment is decreasing.
A previous report from the International Osteoporosis foundation, released as part of its “Capture the Fracture” program, found that 80% of fracture patients in the EU are not screened for osteoporosis and that half of these patients will go on to sustain future fractures.