Pharmacoeconomics of antihypertensive drugs prescribed in a multispecialty hospital in South India

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the most cost‑effective therapy among the different group of antihypertensive prescribed in a multispecialty hospital. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, 104 hypertensive patients were selected. Participants were interviewed at about the demographic data. Initial clinical assessment of blood pressure (BP) and pulse rate were done. They were prescribed monotherapy either with angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) (n = 7) or beta blocker (BB) (n = 23) or calcium channel blocker (CCB) (n = 9). Angiotensin converting enzyme with BB (n = 27), ARB with CCB (n = 17) and ARB with BB (n = 21) were prescribed in combination therapy. The cost of antihypertensive drugs was calculated using incremental cost for “per mmHg” reduction and cost for “per patient” reaching target BP. The data are analyzed using suitable statistical methods. ARB with BB shows significant reduction in BP. To maintain the targeted BP, BB is found to be cost‑effective in both systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) as well as in the reduction of “per mmHg” of DBP. In case of reduction of “per mmHg” of SBP ARB is cost‑effective. Treatment of hypertension with BBs is cost‑effective. Key words: Antihypertensive drugs, beta blockers, cost effectiveness