Conclusions
Treating patients with opioid poisoning in a primary care setting costs substantially less than treating a patient with similar characteristics in a hospital, with estimated total costs at 121 EUR and 612 EUR, respectively. Even when comparing the highest cost estimate in primary care, 165 EUR, with the lowest cost estimate at the hospital, 429 EUR, the difference of 264 EUR is substantial. Elements of the OAEOC procedure could be implemented in hospitals and primary care emergency clinics both in Norway and abroad, saving health resources.
To corroborate our results, future research could collect real-life data from hospital settings, both concerning time spent by involved personnel and the probabilities of the use of tests, treatments, and intensive care, as well as manually measure personnel resources used in both settings.