A pharmacoeconomic study on cost variation of antiplatelet drugs available in Indian market

Author(s):  
Ainsy J ◽  
Prakash M
Author(s):  
Pramod Kumar Manjhi ◽  
Sunil Kumar Singh ◽  
Chakrapani Kumar ◽  
Akhilesh Kumar Rana

Background: Antitussive-expectorants are among the most frequently prescribed drugs by physicians in clinical practice. Upper respiratory tract infections, such as common cold, acute pharyngitis and acute trachea-bronchitis, are the most common of all communicable diseases and significantly increase OPD burden. This study aimed to assess the rational use, cost ratio, and percentage cost variations in different brands of the commonly prescribed antitussive-expectorants available in the Indian market.Methods: The cost of antitussive-expectorant manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies was obtained by using drug today Jan-April 2021 vol 2. The maximum and minimum price was noted down, cost ratio and percentage cost variation of the individual formulation were analysed.  Results: Analysis of cost ratio and percentage cost variation for each formulation of the antitussive-expectorants drug, syrup (100 ml) chlorpheniramine (2 mg), dextromethorphan (10 mg), phenylephrine (5 mg) combinations show the highest cost ratio and percentage cost variation as 5.30 and 430.25 respectively, and syrup (100 ml) dextromethorphan (10 mg), guaifenesin (100 mg), phenylephrine (25 mg), chlorpheniramine (4 mg) combinations show lowest cost ratio and percentage cost variation as 1.17 and 17.69 respectively.Conclusions: There was a wide variation in the cost of different brands of antitussive-expectorant drugs available in the Indian market. So, clinicians should be aware of rational use and variations in cost to reduce the treatment cost and increase patient compliance.


Cureus ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avik Ray ◽  
Ahmad Najmi ◽  
Gaurav Khandelwal ◽  
Balakrishnan Sadasivam

Author(s):  
Saiyadali A. Allisabanavar ◽  
Narayana Reddy S.

Background: Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder affecting about 10 million persons in India. The compliance to a particular antiepileptic drug is highly dependent on the cost of the drug which directly translates into success or failure of therapy. Hence there is a need for all clinicians to keep themselves updated with the latest prices and price variation of the commonly prescribed drugs. This study aims to analyze cost variation of various brands of anti-epileptic drugs currently available in Indian pharmaceutical market.Methods: Current Index of Medical Specialities July-October 2016 edition was referred to know the maximum and minimum price in INR of various brands of anti- epileptic drugs in India. Further analysis was done by using Percentage Cost Variation.Results: There is wide variation in the prices of different brands of same antiepileptic agents in Indian market. The highest % cost variation was found for diazepam 5mg tablet (374.42), followed by lorazepam 2mg tablet (213.63), carbamazepine 100mg syrup/5ml-100ml (172.58), levetiracetam 1000mg FC-tablet (168.57), lamotrigine 25mg DIS- tablet (150), clobazam 10mg tablet (147.37), clonazepam 0.5mg tablet (145.90), oxcarbazepine 150mg tablet (89.46), gabapentin 300mg capsule (71.67), valproic acid 200mg FC-tablet (58.62), divalproex sodium 500mg ER-tablet (47.82), topiramate 50mg tablet (41.66) and lowest % cost variation was of phenytoin sodium 300mg tablet (0.23).Conclusions: The average percentage price variation of different brands of same oral anti-epileptic drug in Indian market is very wide. To counter act such cost variation, physicians should be encouraged to prescribe a medication brand with low cost. This in turn reduces the unnecessary economic burden to the patients.


Author(s):  
Ajay Kumar Shukla ◽  
Neelesh Arya

Background: Indian pharmaceuticals market stands third and thirteenth largest in terms of value and volume in the Global Pharmaceutical Industry respectively. Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental illnesses affecting more than 15% of the population at some point in their life span. Treatment of anxiety disorders usually follows a long term treatment. Cost of the treatment is an important factor determining the adherence to the treatment.Methods: Data relevant to various brands of anxiolytic drug available in the Indian market particular drug obtained from “Current Index of Medical Specialties” (CIMS) October 2017 - January 2018 was used to calculate the cost ratio and percentage cost variation.Results: There are 16 anxiolytic drugs in the form of 44 different formulations and 384 brands available in the Indian market. Among anxiolytic drugs, highest cost ratio and percent cost variation is for diazepam 5mg, followed by alprazolam 1mg and hydroxyzine 10mg. Highest number of brands of anxiolytic drugs available in Indian market are for clonazepam 0.5mg followed by alprazolam 0.5mg and escitalopram 10mg.Conclusions: In Indian market, there is availability of large number of brands with wide and variable cost variations among the various brands of the anxiolytic drugs.


Author(s):  
Ajay Kumar Shukla ◽  
Astha Agnihotri

Background: Indian drug market has large numbers of branded formulations for every drug molecule. 1 Cost-sensitive healthcare environment has created a challenging workplace for clinicians. Efficient use of healthcare resources without compromising quality of patient care has been a challenging task for healthcare professionals. There is a wide range of variation in the prices of drugs marketed in India. Thus, a study was planned to analyse out cost variations of antiepileptic drugs available in Indian market.Methods: Minimum and maximum costs in Rupees (INR) of different brands of same generic antipsychotic drugs, in the same strength and dosage forms were compared. The cost ratio and percentage cost variation were calculated for each generic antipsychotic drug. The number of formulations for antipsychotic drugs and number of brands for each of them were also taken into consideration.Results: This study shows that in Indian market, there are wide variations in the prices of different brands of same generic antipsychotic drug. The highest cost ratio and percent cost variation was found for risperidone 2 mg [(1:16.27) and 1527.48], followed by risperidone 4 mg [(1:16.25) and 1525.25], risperidone 3 mg [(1:15.67) and 1467.33], risperidone 1 mg [(1:14.86) and 1386.78], olanzapine 10 mg [(1:12.36) and 1136.84], and olanzapine 5 mg [(1:12.31) and 1130.76]. Highest number of brands of antipsychotic drug available in Indian market are for divalproex sodium 500mg(25) followed by olanzapine 15 mg(23), olanzapine 5 mg(23), olanzapine 2.5mg(14), and risperidone 1 mg (14). Highest numbers of formulations of antipsychotic drug available in Indian market are for olanzapine(06), quetiapine(05), haloperidol(05), and aripiprazole(05).Conclusions: In Indian market, the average percentage price variation of different brands of the same oral antipsychotic drugs is very wide. Treatment with antipsychotic drugs usually has a long course with treatment adherence being a crucial factor for successful treatment. Improved adherence to the drug treatment can be ensured by decreasing the cost of therapy. Decreased drug cost expenditure can be ensured by changes in the government policies and regulations, integrating pharmacoeconomics as part of medical education curriculum, and creating awareness among treating physicians for switching to cost effective therapy.


Author(s):  
S. Nagaraja Prasad ◽  
Vedavathi H.

Background: Schizophrenia is a disorder of relatively high point prevalence, low incidence and high disability. It accounts for nearly 1.5-3% of total national expenditure on health care. There is a gross variation in the cost of various branded and generic versions of antipsychotics available in India. This can lead to decreased patient compliance. The present study was undertaken to highlight this variation in the cost of various preparations of antipsychotics (branded and generic) available in India.Methods: Cost ratio and Percentage variation in cost of various antipsychotics available were calculated by standard formulae and analysed.Results: There is a very high variation in the cost of various antipsychotics available in India. The highest variation in cost ratio was seen with risperidone 2mg, 3mg and olanzapine 10mg, while the highest percentage cost variation was seen with risperidone 3mg, 4mg, 1mg; olanzapine 2.5mg, 5mg, 50mg, 100mg; levosulpiride 25mg and chlorpromazine 20mg. The lowest percentage cost variation was seen with Flupenthixol 3mg and Amisulpiride 300mg.Conclusions: There is a definite need to further strengthen the Drug Price Regulatory Mechanisms with regard to antipsychotics available in India in order to improve the patient compliance and thus cure rates of this burdensome and costly illness.


Author(s):  
Shakeel Ahmad Mir

Background: Worldwide, Hypertension is estimated to cause 7.5 million deaths, about 12.8% of the total of all deaths. This accounts for 57 million disability adjusted life years (DALYS) or 3.7% of total DALYS. Globally, the overall prevalence of hypertension in adults aged 25 and over was around 40% in 2008.Despite its benefits, treatment of hypertension is costly. Direct medical spending to treat hypertension totalled $42.9 billion in 2010, with almost half ($20.4 billion) in the form of prescription medications. Being, a silent disease, adherence to antihypertensive drugs is poor. One of the important factors of poor adherence to antihypertensives is the cost of the drugs. There is wide cost variation among different brands of the same antihypertensive drug. Clinician’s awareness of cost of therapeutics is poor. The costly brand of same generic drug is proved to be in no way superior to its economically cheaper counterpart.Methods: The minimum and the maximum cost in Rupees (INR) of a particular antihypertensive agent manufactured by various pharmaceutical companies in the same strength were noted. The cost of 10 tablets/capsules was calculated. The cost ratio and percent cost variation were calculated for each brand.Results: The cost variation observed in the present study was as high as 2337.50 % for Hydralazine. Other significantly high cost variations found in the present study were: 1315.25% (Telmisartan+Hydrochlorthiazide), 870.58% (Amlopdipine), 558.34% (Amlodipine+Atenolol), 537.68% (Valsartan), 394.44% (Metoprolol), 344.44% (Enalapril), 316.22% (Propranolol), 300% (Lisinopril), 290.90% (Carvedilol), 289% (Cilnidipine), 271.99% ( Labetolol), 268.04% (Indapamide), 256.31% (Losartan), 255.19% (Irbesartan), 226% (Methyldopa), 223.04% (Frusemide), 209.78% (Nitrendepine), 192.08% (Terazosin), 189.25% (Atenolol), 142.42% (Bisoprolol) and 120.51% (Felodipine).Conclusions: Financial constraints are a reality in almost all aspects of medicine. Doctors must consider drug costs to their patients. Increasing pharmaceutical costs negatively impacts patients. Given the increasing healthcare costs, there is growing interest in rational prescribing, which takes costs of medication into account.


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