Treatment and healthcare costs of fibromyalgia syndrome in Germany

The data available on the types of treatment delivered and healthcare costs of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients in Germany are currently not representative. The data from all 6,897,846 insured persons of the German statutory health insurance company Barmer Ersatzkasse (BEK) before the fusion with the Gmunder Ersatzkasse (GEK) were analyzed if more than 2 billing cases with the diagnosis M79.7 were found (FMS cases) in the 8 consecutive quarter years of 2007-2008. In these cases the types and costs of out-patient treatment as well as the operation and procedure key (OPS) classification of in-patient treatment in cases of any discharge diagnosis of FMS were analyzed. A diagnosis of FMS was recorded in 14,870 insured persons in out-patient care and in 6130 in-patients from 1(st) January 2008 to 31(st) December 2009. The 1-year prevalence of FMS diagnosis was 19,592 of the patients (0.3%). Non-steroidal agents were prescribed in 48%, weak opioids in 21% and strong opioids in 11% of the out-patients with FMS. Out-patient psychotherapy was conducted in 8% of the FMS cases. In 31% of the cases hospital treatment was carried out of which 14% received multicomponent therapy. The average healthcare costs were 4,331 a,not sign per year. The data of the BEK document high healthcare costs and treatment which is mainly not in line with the recommendations of the German guidelines on the management of FMS.