ISSN: 2577-4360
Authors: Kaur M, Dhami M, Singh S, Gupta GD and Raj K*
Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disorder for which patients are expected to take medicines for longer period of time and even medicines for life time are often needed to treat this disease. Costly branding of drugs prescribed in such situation adds to the burden of illness and could even lead to failure of therapy compliance. The analysis was therefore designed to determine the cost of anti-Alzheimer’s drugs of different brands and to examine price different between anti-Alzheimer’s drugs on the India market. The cost of different brands of widely used anti-Alzheimer’s drug was calculated by referring to the IDR. The cost of each brands 5 tablets in INR, cost ratio and percentage cost variance is determined. The difference between the highest and lowest price of the same drug produced by various pharmaceutical companies was measured as well as the percentage variance in cost for 5 tablets. The cost of total 5 anti-Alzheimer’s drugs was analysed. There is more variation in the prices of different brands of same anti-Alzheimer’s medicines in India market. The highest % cost variation was found for Rivastigmine 1.5mg (195%), Donepezil 5mg (114.28%), Memantine 5mg (112%) and lowest cost variation was Galantamine 4mg and Tacrine 10 mg (100%). Alzheimer’s disease is most common neurodegenerative disease and drugs are to be prescribed for prolonged period. On the Indian market, the average price difference of different brands of the same anti-Alzheimer’s medication is very high. If an expensive brand is prescribed, the patients must unnecessarily spend more money for their care. To combat such cost variability, physicians should be allowed to recommend a low-cost brand of medication. This effect reduces the patient’s needless economic burden.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s diseases; Cost- analysis; Cost variation
