A pharmacoeconomic analysis of therapies for patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was conducted. The therapies compared were androgenic hormone inhibition (finasteride) and alpha-blockade (doxazosin, prazosin and terazosin). This was a cost-effectiveness analysis from the perspective of the US military. The 36-month decision-tree model considered the aforementioned drugs as initial therapy for BPH following an unsuccessful period of watchful waiting. Therapy was continued toward a successful response. All patients who did not respond to therapy received secondary interventions, including transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). The main outcome measures were clinical effectiveness and incurred costs. A Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis was performed on all cost-effectiveness ratios. The model and sensitivity analysis supported prazosin as the most cost effective alpha-blocker over finasteride: the mean difference was $US381.65 (1994 values) per successfully treated patient, with a range of $US57.83 to $US675.53, in favour of prazosin. If prazosin was used as initial drug therapy after watchful waiting for a man over 50 years of age with classical symptoms of prostatism and no other severe or confounding comorbid conditions, a cost of $US578.15 per treatment could be expected, with clinical effectiveness of 70.3%. Patients who cannot tolerate prazosin should be considered for terazosin therapy before moving on from alpha-blockers. Subsequent treatment with finasteride would cost $US1426.53, with an additional clinical effectiveness of 9.9%. For the small number of patients who fail both therapies, the cost effectiveness of a first TURP as 'third-line' intervention [$US4321.36 for an additional effectiveness of 8.62% and a repeat TURP as 'fourth-line' ($US7650.54 for 0.59%) interventional] was calculated in a similar manner. Costs were cumulative, and effectiveness was derived from the total number of patients who started prazosin therapy. Pharmacological therapy was more cost effective than surgical intervention, and alpha-blockers were more cost effective than finasteride. Among the alpha-blockers, prazosin was by far the most cost effective followed by terazosin, then doxazosin.

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Typhoid fever has been a problem for military personnel throughout history. A cost-effectiveness analysis of typhoid fever vaccines from the perspective of the US military was performed. Currently 3 vaccine preparations are available in the US: an oral live Type 21A whole cell vaccine; a single-dose parenteral, cell subunit vaccine; and a 2-dose parenteral heat-phenol killed, whole cell vaccine. This analysis assumed all vaccinees were US military personnel. Two pharmacoeconomic models were developed, one for personnel who have not yet been deployed, and the other for personnel who are deployed to an area endemic for typhoid fever. Drug acquisition, administration, adverse effect and lost work costs, as well as the costs associated with typhoid fever, were included in this analysis. Unique military issues, typhoid fever attack rates, vaccine efficacy, and compliance with each vaccine's dosage regimen were included in this analysis. A sensitivity analysis was performed to test the robustness of the models. Typhoid fever immunisation is not cost-effective for US military personnel unless they are considered imminently deployable or are deployed. The most cost-effective vaccine for US military personnel is the single-dose, cell subunit parenteral vaccine.

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