European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

APPRAISAL OF DIRECT COST OF TREATING EPILEPSY PER MONTH IN GUNTUR, ANDHRA PRADESH.

K. Sipora*, D. Vidhyadhari, Tabrik Fathima, R. Venkateswara Rao and Nadendla Rama Rao

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate in financial terms, the direct health care costs of treating epilepsy per month of clinic attendance and to relate these costs with the individual patients monthly income. METHODS: This is a cross sectional study conducted among inpatient attendees at the specialist pediatric service provided in secondary care hospital in Guntur, AP, from July 2015 to December 2015. RESULTS: A total of 120 patients were interviewed. 67% male child patients and 33% female child patients were included. The majority of patient’s parents are employed. 48% patients were prescribed by the phenytoin, 31% patients were prescribed by the sodium valproate, in combination therapy 15% patients were prescribed by the both phenytoin+ sodium valproate. The biggest contributor was drug cost (9,991,800Rs). The direct cost of treating patients with epilepsy per month in 94 patients was 10,891,800Rs. The mean direct cost of epilepsy care determined from this study is 1,815,300Rs. CONCLUSION: Medication costs contributed the most to the direct costs of treating epilepsy. More than 45% of patient’s parents on regular income spend 60% or more of their income in the treatment of epilepsy. Efforts towards reducing the direct cost of treating epilepsy should be directed towards mitigating the cost of the medications, transportation and service charges through appropriate policy interventions. In this study some ADR’s were also observed.

Keywords: Epilepsy, Pharmacoeconomics, Direct cost, Mean direct cost.