A COMPARATIVE COST-EFFECTIVE STUDY BETWEEN TOPICAL AND ORAL ANTIFUNGAL DRUGS IN TINEA INFECTIONS
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Keywords
Cost-effectiveness, Tinea infections, Topical antifungals, Oral antifungals, Prescription analysis, Rational prescribing.
Abstract
Objective: This study evaluates the relative cost-effectiveness of oral and topical antifungal drugs used to treat tinea infections.
Methods: Data was collected over six months by reviewing prescriptions in the Dermatology Department at Tertiary Care Hospital in Kemari, Karachi. The average cost of antifungal drugs per prescription was calculated. However, we only considered oral and topical antifungal medications. All drug prices were calculated in Pakistani rupees. Each drug's cost was calculated per milligram and w/w, w/v.
Results: Among 402 prescriptions reviewed for tinea infections, topical antifungals were more commonly prescribed than oral formulations, with clotrimazole and terbinafine being the most cost-effective. Significant cost variations were noted, especially for fluconazole and griseofulvin, highlighting the need for rational prescribing and price regulation.
Conclusion: This study compares and highlights the advantages of using antifungal drugs topically and orally. It also enhances the practice of prescribing generic medications and makes treatment more affordable for patients.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Samina Sheikh
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan
Mirza Tasawer Baig
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan
Anwar Ejaz Beg
Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan
Ijaz Ahmed
Department of Dermatology, Ziauddin Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
Sadia Ahmed Zuberi
Faculty of Pharmacy, Salim Habib University, Karachi-, Pakistan
Sadaf Ibrahim
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan
Anum Arif
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan
Ambreen Huma
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan
Aneza Arshad
Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan