OBJECTIVETo discuss the cost, cost-effectiveness, and cost-utility of the extension methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clinics and provide the evidences of the strategy of scaling up the extension MMT clinics.

METHODSA study was conducted in Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province, including Mang, Ruili city, Longchuan, Yingjiang, Lianghe county. 117 newly enrolling heroin addict patients in 17 extension MMT clinics were recruited as subjects from December 2010 to February 2011. An interview was conducted by the trained interviewers for the quality of life score of patients, and the cost of drug use was calculated. Table of outpatient costs of methadone maintenance treatment clinic of Dehong prefecture in Yunnan was used for collecting and calculating the fixed cost, operating cost of the clinics, and the unit cost and incremental cost of the patients from 2008 to 2010. Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of the extension clinics were analyzed by using the Markov model.

RESULTSThe total spending of extension clinics for 2008, 2009, and 2010 on average was ¥57 294, ¥80 752 and ¥74 739 respectively, or about ¥4379 annually per patient. The cost of averting one HIV infection was ¥316 509; the cost of averting one acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients was ¥508 676; and the cost of averting one death was ¥152 330. The cost of obtaining one life year (LY) was ¥3696 and the cost of obtaining one quality adjusted life year (QALY) was ¥9014. Comparing with drug users, the incremental cost utility ratio (ICUR) of the patients of the extension MMT clinics were -7074 yuan/QALY and -7162 yuan/LY.

CONCLUSIONThe extension MMT clinic service is lower in cost, and better in cost-effectiveness and cost-utility.