Abstract

A STUDY OF PRICE VARIATION AMONG THE VARIOUS BRANDS OF DRUGS UNDER DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF CVS AND CNS AVAILABLE IN INDIAN PHARMACEUTICAL MARKET

Pemmaraju Sowjanya* and M. Srinivas

ABSTRACT

The price of the drug plays a key role in India. This study was aimed to analyse the cost ratio and percentage price variation among various brands of drugs under central nervous system and cardiovascular drugs available in the Indian market. Cost of central nervous system and cardiovascular drugs manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies, in the same strength and dosage forms was obtained from “current index of medical specialties” April-July 2018" issue and "Indian Drug Review" Volume. XXIV, Issue No.5, 2018 to analyze the maximum and minimum price analysis INR 10 tablets was calculated. The study shows that there is a wide variation in the prices of different brands of cardiovascular system the highest cost ratio (1:2.79) and percentage price variation (179.27) was found for clopidogrel 75mg and central nervous system the highest cost ratio (7.66) and percentage price variation (161.09) was found for Alprazolam 0.25 mg. There is a wide difference in the cost of different brands of central nervous system and cardiovascular drugs available in India. The clinicians prescribing these drugs should be aware of these variations in cost to reduce the cost of drug therapy. This in turn reduces the economic burden on the patients.

Keywords: price variation, cost ratio, central nervous system, cardiovascular drugs.