Background: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a secondary prevention programme in patients admitted to the Emergency department due drug-related problems (DRPs) Methods: A decision model compared costs and outcomes of patients admitted to the Emergency department with drug-related problems included in Anatomical Therapeutic Classification (ATC) groups A, B or C was designed, based on the results of a randomized clinical trial (NCT03607097). Model variables and costs, along with their distributions, were obtained from the trial results and the literature. The study was performed from the perspective of the National Health System including only direct costs. The Incremental Cost-Effectiveness ratio (ICER) was analysed regarding the ability of the programme to reduce emergency department revisits. Uncertainty in ICERs was evaluated with probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Results: According to the results of the proposed model, the implementation of a secondary prevention programme for DRPs reduces the cost associated with Emergency Department revisits, with an annual net benefit of €87,639. Considering a mortality rate attributable to readmission for DRPs of 4.7%, the cost per life-years gained (LYG) with the implementation of this program was €2,205. In the short term, the reduction in the number of revisits due to the implementation of the programme was the variable that most affected the model, with the benefit threshold value corresponding to a relative reduction of 12.4% of the number of revisits in patients with DRPs to obtain benefits with the implementation of this type of programme. Conclusions: Implementing a secondary prevention programme is cost-effective on patients admitted to the emergency department with DRPs. Implementation costs will be exceeded by reducing revisits to the emergency department.
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