Costs (in British pounds sterling, £) incurred using an intrauterine system for 5 years (60 months) in a UK-based community contraception and sexual health service
| Description of cost | Patients: complete data (n=197) | Patients: incomplete data (n=86) | Cost per item (2005) | Cost per item (2012) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumables and pharmacy supplies | ||||
| IUS (initial devices) | 197 | 86 | 85.50 | 76.41 |
| Pre-insertion chlamydia test | 153* | 63* | 11.20 | 9.40 |
| IUD pack | 197 | 86 | 7.84 | 6.40 |
| Cervical block | 6 | 3 | 0.19 | 0.38 |
| Topical gel and quill | 120 | 57 | 1.19 | 1.27 |
| Dilator | 81 | 32 | 0.56 | 1.38 |
| Cost of managing problems | ||||
| Scissors (trimming threads) | 1 | 1 | 2.00 | 2.22 |
| Additional chlamydia swab test | 8 | 0 | 11.20 | 9.40 |
| Additional IUS devices | 5* | 3 | 85.50 | 76.41 |
| Metronidazole 400 mg twice daily ×14 | 9* | 1 | 0.50 | 1.36 |
| Doxyclycline 100 mg twice daily ×14 | 8* | 3 | 1.26 | 1.09 |
| Norethisterone 5 mg ×30 | 2* | 1 | 1.25 | 3.86 |
| Microgynon 30®, 3×21 | 0 | 1 | 2.93 | 1.78 |
| Pregnancy test | 1 | 0 | 0.65 | 0.63 |
| Forceps (removal IUS) | 83 | 0 | 2.90 | 2.29 |
| Staff time | ||||
| Initial consultation | ||||
| 15 minutes for nurse | 3 | 0 | 5.56 | 6.30 |
| 16 minutes for doctor | 132 | 35 | 11.68 | 13.76 |
| Insertion | ||||
| 27 minutes for doctor and 15 minutes for nurse | 191 | 83 | 25.27 | 29.52 |
| 1/8 consultant clinic | 6 | 3 | 33.24 | 38.59 |
| Routine, 6-week follow-up visit (‘coil check’) | ||||
| 13 minutes for doctor | 55 | 14 | 9.49 | 11.18 |
| Other follow-up visit (‘coil check’) | ||||
| 13 minutes for doctor | 75* | 19* | 9.49 | 11.18 |
| 13 minutes for nurse | 27* | 4* | 4.81 | 5.46 |
| 1/8 of consultant sessions | 4* | 0 | 33.24 | 38.59 |
| Follow-up visit with problem | ||||
| 13 minutes for nurse | 1 | 1 | 4.81 | 5.46 |
| 16 minutes with doctor | 41* | 7* | 11.68 | 13.76 |
| 1/8 consultant clinic | 15* | 6* | 33.24 | 38.59 |
| Removal of device only | ||||
| 16 minutes for doctor | 55 | 0 | 11.68 | 13.76 |
| 1/8 consultant session | 5 | 0 | 33.24 | 38.59 |
| GP removal | 12 | 0 | 16.62 | 19.26 |
| Average cost of removing and replacing IUS device in SRH service† | 27 | 0 | 128.43 | 121.19 |
| Secondary care costs | ||||
| Gynaecology outpatient visit | 3 | 0 | 138.00 | 137.00 |
| Hysteroscopy | 2 | 0 | 566.00 | 733.00 |
| General anaesthetic removal | 0 | 0 | 566.00 | 733.00 |
*Numbers refer to number of items rather than number of patients as some patients attended more than once for treatment/follow-up.
†Includes removal and replacement (n=23) plus replacement post-expulsion (n=4).
GP, general practitioner; IUD, intrauterine device; IUS, intrauterine system; SRH, sexual and reproductive health.