Pacira’s EXPAREL Slashes Hip Arthroplasty Costs by $2,059 and Saves $1,527 in Knee Cases
Pacira’s EXPAREL cut hip arthroplasty costs to $7,332 at three months and to $13,022 at six months versus $8,153 and $15,081, while reducing opioid use by 51 MMEs at six months. In teaching hospitals, EXPAREL saved $1,527 per knee arthroplasty case and achieved $117,868 savings per million over three years.
1. Real-World THA Cost and Opioid Findings
EXPAREL use in hospital outpatient hip arthroplasty reduced total healthcare costs from $8,153 to $7,332 at three months and from $15,081 to $13,022 at six months. In Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with low back pain, costs fell by up to $5,038 at six months, alongside a 51 MME reduction in opioid use at six months.
2. Real-World TKA Savings in Teaching Hospitals
In a matched cohort of 7,840 outpatient knee arthroplasty patients, EXPAREL achieved adjusted mean cost reductions of $1,527 per case in teaching hospitals at surgical visit, seven days and 30 days post-surgery. Pharmacy acquisition costs at surgery dropped to $1,031 for EXPAREL versus $2,872 for non-liposomal bupivacaine.
3. Three-Year Budget Impact Analysis
A budget impact model for a 1-million-member plan projected a cumulative cost difference of −$117,868 by year three in commercial and Medicare Advantage settings, corresponding to a relative budget impact of −0.07% and per-member-per-month savings of $0.003 versus ropivacaine.