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Willingness to pay for inhaled insulin

A contingent valuation approach

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Abstract

Purpose: To determine the willingness to pay (WTP) of patients with diabetes mellitus for inhaled insulin.

Methods: A contingent valuation survey was administered to 96 diabetic outpatients at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada. Standardised information about inhaled insulin and subcutaneous rapid-acting insulin was provided via video. Participants’ WTP for their preferred product was elicited in Canadian dollars ($Can) using a ‘payment-scale’ method.

Results: The mean age of participants was 51.8 years (SD 13.4). Seventy-seven patients had type 2 and 19 had type 1 diabetes. Significantly more participants preferred inhaled insulin over subcutaneous insulin (85 vs 11; p < 0.01). Mean monthly WTP for inhaled insulin ($Can153.70, SD 99.90) was significantly more than the typical $Can50 per month for subcutaneous insulin (p < 0.01). Significantly more participants with type 2 diabetes using oral drugs than those with type 1 diabetes and using insulin preferred inhaled insulin (98.5% vs 69%, p < 0.001). Diabetic patients who did not use insulin were willing to pay significantly more than were insulin users (p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that income was significantly associated with WTP for inhaled insulin.

Conclusion: Diabetic patients, particularly those who are not using insulin, indicated that they would prefer inhaled insulin over insulin injection and would be willing to pay a substantial amount per month to use it. An economic evaluation of inhaled insulin would provide important information to healthcare policy decision makers and private payers about its economic value.

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Acknowledgements

This study was performed by Dr Sadri for his graduate degree thesis. There has been no funding of any kind from any organisation or company. Dr Sadri designed the study, conducted the survey, collected and analysed data and wrote the manuscript.

Dr MacKeigan and Dr Einarson are professors at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto. Dr MacKeigan and Dr Einarson were involved in design of the study, statistical analysis and review of the manuscript.

Dr Leiter is the Head of Department of Endocrinology at St. Michael’s Hospital, which is affiliated with the University of Toronto. He has served as consultant, has done continuous medical education on behalf of, and has received research funding from, Aventis and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. Dr Leiter’s clinical expertise was used in the design and validation of the study instrument. Dr Leiter also recruited the patients from his clinic.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Hamid Sadri, Linda D. MacKeigan & Thomas R. Einarson

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Toronto — St. Michael’s Hospital Division of Endocrinology, Ontario, Canada

    Lawrence A. Leiter

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  1. Hamid Sadri
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  2. Linda D. MacKeigan
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  3. Lawrence A. Leiter
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  4. Thomas R. Einarson
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Correspondence to Hamid Sadri.

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Sadri, H., MacKeigan, L.D., Leiter, L.A. et al. Willingness to pay for inhaled insulin. Pharmacoeconomics 23, 1215–1227 (2005). https://doi.org/10.2165/00019053-200523120-00006

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