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Introduction: The current Brazilian model for the assistance of drug dependents does not differentiate admissions in psychiatric or general hospitals. There is no information on the distinct costs of those two modes of hospitalization. Aim: To compare the estimated costs of hospitalization for cocaine/ crack dependence in a psychiatric hospital and in a general hospital, in the context of public health care in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Methods: Estimates of the daily average total direct costs of admissions for cocaine/crack dependence, using the method of activity based costs, in a public psychiatric hospital and in a public general hospital, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Results: The average daily cost of hospitalization in a psychiatric hospital was estimated at R$ 368.65, and in a general hospital, at R$ 484.52, a difference of 31.4%. This difference was primarily due to staffing and services related costs. Conclusion: The costs of hospitalization for cocaine/crack dependence are higher in the general hospital than in the psychiatric hospital, in the context of public healthcare in Minas Gerais, Brazil. |
