Cost of ocular medications at Priest Hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost of ocular medications, both in and out of the national drug lists (NDL) in the year 2004 used for priests and novices of Priest Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The present study was retrospective and reviewed the prescriptions for out and in patients who received the treatment at Priest Hospital. 4,508 prescriptions were prescribed between October 2006 and March 2007 evaluated. Comparison of the cost of medications prescribed for each disease category was performed. RESULTS: The total of 331 types of drugs was prescribed. The total cost of medications use was 2,292,935 Baht. This included drugs in the NDL in the year 2004 which cost 813,238 (35.47%) Baht and 1,479,697 (64.53%) Baht of drugs not on the NDL. Item D was found to have maximum cost (40.11%), followed by Item A (29.23%), Item C (22.10%), and Item B (8.56%), respectively. Regarding all medications used at Priest Hospital, eye medications, cost most followed by cardiovascular and central nervous system medications. The eye medication that cost the most was for glaucoma (73.09%), followed by corticosteroid and other anti-inflammatory preparations (12.95%) and ocular lubricants and astringents (6.49%). CONCLUSION: Ocular medications cost are the most expensive when compared to other medications both on and outside the NDL. Among the ocular medication prescribed, glaucoma medication was the most expensive.