Abstract

PHARMACOECONOMIC EVALUATION OF LEVOCETRIZINE, MONTELEUKAST AND FEXOFENADINE IN ALLERGIC RHINITIS IN JHARKHAND, INDIA

Dr. Pramveer Kumar, Dr. Satish Chandra, Dr. Kusum Kumari, *Dr. Priyanki, Dr. Manju Gari, Dr. Sandeep Kumar and Dr. Kavita Ragini

ABSTRACT

Pharmacoeconomics has been defined as the description and analysis of the cost of drug therapy to healthcare systems and society. More specifically, it is the process of identifying, measuring, and comparing the costs, risks, and benefits of programs or therapies and determining which alternative produces the best health outcome for the resource invested. We have selected cost-effectiveness analysis in our study, because the mainadvantage of this approach is that the outcomes are easier to quantify. Allergic Rhinitis is an important public health problem., the aim of this study was to find out the less costly medication for allergic rhinitis on basis of pharmacoeconomic analysis This observational follow up study was conducted in the department of pharmacology & Therapeutics, RIMS, Ranchi among Diagnosed cases of Allergic Rhinitis patient (persistent, moderate- severe type as per ARIA Classification), patient aged 18 to 60 years inclusive of either gender, with treatment duration of 2 weeks. Drugs used were monteleukast, levocetrizine and fexofenadine. Mean changes in TNSS at the end of 24 hrs, 1st and 2nd week were seen to compare the effect of drugs with and without Montelukast with the help of Total Nasal Score. Cost effective analysis was done. All the study drugs have shown significant improvement in quality of life of Allergic rhinitis patients. Pharmacoeconomically, Levocetriirizine has been found the most cost effective amongst study drugs and fexofenadine is the least cost effective.

Keywords: Pharmacoeconomics, allergicrhinitis, levocetrizine, monteleukast, fexofenadine TNSS.