Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, College of Medicine Campus, Idi-Araba, PMB 12003 Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria
Suleiman, I.A., Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, College of Medicine Campus, Idi-Araba, PMB 12003 Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria; Tayo, F., Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, College of Medicine Campus, Idi-Araba, PMB 12003 Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria
Objective To determine the cost of therapy to patients of sexually transmitted infections in a Nigerian teaching hospital. Methods A retrospective drug-utilization evaluation in conjunction with cost-of-illness analysis was used. Two hundred and twenty seven case notes containing 310 prescriptions of patients with sexually transmitted infections were examined over a 1-year period between 2005 and 2006. Relevant data including demographics, diagnosis, prescribed drugs and dosages were extracted and the associated costs, direct and indirect, were evaluated. Key findings Disease occurrence was higher among the most productive work force group of 21-40 years (59.0%), which had 82.0% of the prescriptions. The overall average cost of antibacterial agents for sexually transmitted infection per patient (n=227) was NGN977.85 (US$7.52) while the overall average cost per prescription (n=310) was NGN716.04 ($5.51). The highest average cost of antibacterial agents of NGN2028.00 ($15.60) was obtained for chlamydial infection. The overall average of cost of therapy per patient (n=227) was NGN2610.65 ($20.08). Chlamydial infection had the highest overall average cost of therapy, at NGN5408.92 ($41.60). The discounted average total cost of therapy for the year 2010 was $48.23 for chlamydial infection. Antibacterial agents constituted the highest cost component (37.5%) followed by indirect costs (26.5%). The average cost of therapy per patient of NGN2610.65 ($20.04) gave a 2010 discounted value of $23.23. Conclusion The cost of therapy for these infections to patients and the nation as a whole is huge. © 2011 The Authors. JPHSR © 2011 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
antiinfective agent; adolescent; adult; article; child; chlamydiasis; condyloma acuminatum; cost of illness; drug cost; drug utilization; female; genital ulcer; gonorrhea; health care cost; human; major clinical study; male; Nigeria; pelvic inflammatory disease; pharmacoepidemiology; priority journal; retrospective study; school child; sexually transmitted disease; syphilis; teaching hospital; ulcus molle; urethritis; uterine cervicitis; vaginitis
