Cost variation analysis of parenteral antibiotics in Indian pharmaceutical market

Background: The objective of the present study was to analyse price differences between parenteral antibiotics available in a tertiary care teaching hospital.Methods: The study was done in the Department of Pharmacology of S. D. M. College of Medical Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka. Latest volume of current index of medical specialties or Indian Drug Review was used to analyze the prices of parenteral antibiotics.Results: Overall, prices of 17 single drug antibiotics available in 37 strengths marketed and 8 fixed-dose combinations available in 16 strength marketed were analyzed. It was observed that the maximum cost variation among the single ingredient parenteral antibiotic was with cefpirome 1000 mg. The price difference being Rs. 283 and the cost variation being 90.7%. The minimum price variation was seen with Ampicillin 100 mg of Rs. 4.3 and the cost variation being 40.2%. Additionally the highest price difference was also seen teicoplanin 400 mg i.e., Rs. 610 and its cost variation being 68.5%. Among the fixed-dose combination (FDC抯) the maximum price variation was observed in the combination of cefoperazone+sulbactum 1000+1000 of Rs. 340. Whereas the cost variation of the same was 212.5 %. The minimum price variation among the FDC抯 was of the combination of ceftriaxone 250 mg + tazobactum 31.25 mg Rs. 3.3 and its cost variation being 7.9 %.Conclusions: Pharmacoeconomics facets must be taken into deliberation by healthcare practitioners while prescribing antibiotics to the patients for infectious disease treatment. This will assist compliance, reduce antibiotic resistance and treatment failure.