DRUG COST OF OUTPATIENT TREATMENT FOR HYPERTENSION AT HUE UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND PHARMACY HOSPITAL

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is a common disease in the world as well as in Vietnam, a great threat to human health. With the number of people suffering from hypertension constantly increasing, the cost of treatment for this chronic disease is a dilemma that not only affects patients directly, but also a burden to society. The study was conducted to contribute to the analysis of the current outpatient drug costs for hypertensive patients. Materials and method: Conducted restropective study. Data was collected outpatient drug payment information for hypertensive patients in 2018. There were 1805 outpatient treatment sessions from 1-6/2018 included in the analysis. Results: The average drug cost of an outpatient treatment course for hypertension is 339,088 ± 257,021 VND. Imported drugs accounted for 80.69% of the total cost and 90.48% of the outpatient treatment course. The cost of antihypertensive drugs accounted for 38.21% of the total drug cost, and the drugs with the highest cost were brand-name drugs. Conclusion: The average drug cost of the treatment course of hypertensive patients with complications/comorbidities was significantly higher than that of patients with hypertension alone. Imported drugs and brand-name drugs account for a large proportion of drug costs for hypertensive outpatients. Key words: drug cost, hypertension, outpatient, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital.