Duration of treatment

Treatment does not eliminate fracture risk. It reduces the risk. The fact that a fracture occurs while a patient is under treatment for at least 6 months does not mean that treatment has failed. The NICE guidelines define an unsatisfactory response as one occurring when a patient has another fragility fracture despite fully adhering to the treatment for 1 year and there is an evidence of a decline in BMD below the pretreatment baseline. Many reimbursement agencies and health technology assessments categorize first-line and second-line medications and recommend or cover the costs for a change in medication treatment only after 2 years.

Literature