Cost-effectiveness of tapentadol immediate release versus oxycodone immediate release for acute post-operative pain after major hip surgeries

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of tapentadol immediate-release (IR) versus oxycodone IR for post-operative pain after a major hip surgery. Methods: This study has been conducted using an Australian societal perspective, focusing on adult patients after a major hip surgery. A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using a decision-analytic model. The model incorporated drug and other resource costs, the probability of opioid-related adverse events, and quality-adjusted life months (QALM) in each treatment arm. A willingness to pay (WTP) threshold of AU$2500 was used per QALM gained. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine the uncertainty of the assumptions. The primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of tapentadol IR versus oxycodone IR, expressed as Australian dollars (AU$) per QALM gained. Results: Tapentadol IR dominated oxycodone IR, with a cost savings of AU$201 and an increase in QALM by 0.014. The ICER was −13,946 AU$/QALM (negative value attributed to numerator). In the probabilistic sensitivity analysis, 84.2% of the simulations were in favour of tapentadol IR at the WTP threshold. Conclusions: Tapentadol IR may be more cost-effective than oxycodone IR for the treatment of acute postoperative pain after major hip surgeries.