Cost implications of prehospital emergency drug administration - The case of prehospital thrombolytics

The last decade has seen significant improvements in the prehospital management of many medical emergencies. New therapies are being used, and there are better ways of rapidly targeting them to patients who will benefit. In this article, we discuss the implications of providing prehospital thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We examine the role that cost plays in affecting the choice of treatment, and estimate the costs to be borne by healthcare purchasers. We conclude by examining the options for improved delivery of thrombolysis.