To design Markov's model of decision making to study the role of order in the use of most usable basic antirheumatic drugs (methotrexate-MT, parenteral gold--PG and sulfasalasine--SS) in terms of the course duration and cost.
The model was based on metaanalysis made in 2000. The program TreeAge 3.0 was used. The prices for the drugs were taken as mean about Moscow for 2002 and prices presented by ACR for 2002.
The sequence MT-PG-SS had the advantage over the other sequences in that less number of patients stopped treatment after 5 and 10 years of therapy. Mean cost of the drugs per patient is the lowest (for five years) if MT is prescribed first. In longer treatment SS-MT-PG is more cost-effective.
It is feasible to design Markov's models for making decision on optimal therapy of rheumatoid arthritis both in terms of cost and clinical response.