Cost Analysis of Various Brands of Antibiotics and Corticosteroids in Dermatology Department

Background: Skin diseases are referred to the disorders that occur mainly on the superficial layers of the skin. Antibiotics and corticosteroids are commonly used drug classes in the management of skin disorders. Since, the variation in price of antibiotics and corticosteroids used in dermatological departments vary widely, this study was performed to give an insight on the difference of the cost of various brands of antibiotics and corticosteroids available in India. Methods: The 6-month prospective study conducted from September 2018 to March 2019 assessed the cost variability between different brands of antibiotics and corticosteroids commonly prescribed. The cost of various brands of drugs was collected from the Current Index of Medical Specialties (CIMS) and medguideindia.com. Results: It was seen that tablet prednisolone showed the maximum percentage price variation (4408.67%) followed by tablet azithromycin that varied by 1607.23%. Conclusion: As the drugs prescribed by brand names are higher than the drugs prescribed in their generic names, the cost effectiveness will not be achieved. This suggests that prescribing drugs in generic name will also have an option for the dispensing pharmacist to provide the suitable drug to the patient.