Abstract

Background: Health systems have multiple goals, but the fundamental reason they exist is to improve health. Cost And Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) is one tool decision-makers can use to asses and potentially improve the performance of the health systems. Cost effectiveness analysis (CEA) is a form of economic analysis that compares the relative costs and outcomes (effects) of different courses of action. Objective: The purpose of the study is to asses which intervention provides the highest value for the money and helps to choose the intervention which maximize health outcome in gastroenteritis patients treated with generic (Cepez-SB) and brand (Magnex Forte) formulation. Methods: A comparative observational study was conducted in 80 inpatients admitted with gastroenteritis in gastroenterology department in Global Hospital, Hyderabad for a period of six months and data was analyzed using paired T-test. Results: In this study a total 80 patients were enrolled out of which 40 patients received brand form (MF) and 40 patients received generic form (Cepez-SB). For brand formulation majority were in the age group of 40-60 and for generic formulation majority were in the age group of 50-60. The average cost of drug per patients in Cepez-SB arm is lower i.e., INR 4455.00/- and for MF arm is INR 4944.00/-. The average number of days symptoms subsided for Magnex Forte group is lower i.e., 3.98 days and for the Cepez-SB group was 4.93 days. The average length of hospitalization for MF is lower i.e., 4.375 days and for Cepez-SB is 4.975 days. The average total hospitalization cost for MF is lower i.e., INR 28474.53/- and for Cepez-SB is INR 29362.95/- . Conclusion: We provided a detailed description of costs and effects of both brand and generic forms of cefoperazone - sulbactam in gastroenteritis patients. Results demonstrated that Magnex Forte (brand form) was superior to the Cepez-SB (generic form) used in the study in all aspects and that it also had a better safety profile. We concluded the use of generic drugs could be related with an increased days of disease or might lead to a therapeutic failure; on the other hand, a higher drug concentration might expose patients to an increased risk of dose-dependent side-effects. Overall, it is advisable to well evaluate the effects of generic formulations during the therapeutic treatment.

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