Cost Minimization Study of Analgesics Prescribed to Outpatients Undergoing Periodontal Treatment

Aims: Drug use reviews are useful quantitative tools for assessing options for drug prescribing in dental pain. Regular drug use pattern evaluations help to identify current medication usage patterns, improve treatment efficacy, reduce adverse effects, and advise prescribers. The goal of this study was to look at the analgesics prescribed to outpatients in the department of periodontics to see if they could be cut back on costs.

Methodology: A prospective cross-sectional drug utilisation evaluation was conducted among outpatients in the department of periodontics of a dental college in Himachal Pradesh from August 2020 to July 2021. In order to determine prescriber adherence to WHO guidelines, the proportion of analgesics written in generic names and from the NLEM 2015 were determined. The costs of prescribed analgesics (brand name and generic name) were calculated to determine the patient's out-of-pocket expenses.

Result: The prescribed analgesics cost 74632.75 INR. The Aceclofenac/ paracetamol/ serratiopeptidase combination was the most commonly recommended analgesic. If all medicines were prescribed with generic names, the cost of analgesics could be cut by 85%.

Conclusion: Prescriptions for brand names were the primary cause of the prescription's high cost. The use of generic drugs should be expanded. In order to satisfy WHO requirements, it is necessary to increase the number of medications prescribed in line with NLEM.