Hima Bindu Gujjarlamudi, Angel Jose, Rajesh Dupaguntla*
Department of Pharmacology,
Rajiv Gandhi institute of Medical Sciences, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India.
*Corresponding author
Rajesh Dupaguntla
Department of Pharmacology,
Rajiv Gandhi institute of Medical Sciences,
Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India
Abstract
Objective: Hypertension is a chronic disorder requiring lifelong treatment. This study is done to find out the percentage variation of cost among different brands of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) used in hypertension. Materials and methods: The cost of a particular drug being manufactured by different companies, in the same strength and dosage forms, was referred from ‘‘Indian Drug Today (January - March 2017)”. The difference between the maximum and minimum prices of same drug was analyzed and percentage variation in the prices and cost ratio were calculated. Results: In Single drug therapy, among ACE inhibitors, Enalapril (5 mg) shows maximum price variation of 4748% and among ARBs, Valsartan (80 mg), has the price variation of 494.2 %. In combination therapies, Irbesartan + Hydrochlorothiazide (150 mg +12.5 mg) combination showed the maximum variation of 289.85 %. Conclusion: This study shows a wide variation in the prices of ACE inhibitors and ARBs. Prescribers should be aware of these variations and select cost effective drug to decrease the economic burden on population.
Keywords: Hypertension, cost analysis, price variation, cost ratio
