Costs and quantities were reported separately.
Direct costs included costs of ambulatory physician services, antibiotic therapy, concomitant medication, surgical interventions, hospitalizations and thermal cures.
The cost of ribosomal immunotherapy comprised the acquisition cost of the drug only.
Costs were studied from the perspective of the social security insurance and theprivate insurer or the patient.
Resource data were obtained from expert interviews with practising physicians, from the clinical studies, prescriber surveys and pharmaceutical statistics (1993). Cost data were obtained using official tariffs and price lists, social security insurance and government data, and all related to 1993. Final costs were derived using a decision analysis model.