Accepted 28 August 2007. published online 24 October 2007.
Purpose
To provide patients and health care providers with calculated yearly costs of topical glaucoma medications.
Design
Prospective, experimental, laboratory study.
Methods
Using the average wholesale price and common dosing patterns, we calculated the theoretical yearly cost of glaucoma medications.
Results
Calculated yearly cost ranged from $150.81 for generic timolol maleate 0.5% (Falcon Pharmaceuticals, Ltd, Fort Worth, Texas, USA) to $697.42 for Cosopt (Merck & Co, West Point, Pennsylvania, USA), and as high as $873.98 for a three-times-daily dose of Alphagan P 0.15% (Allergan, Inc, Irvine, California, USA). Among brand name β-blockers, yearly cost ranged between $203.47 for Timoptic 0.5% (Merck & Co) and $657.24 for Betoptic S (Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, Texas, USA). Generic β-blockers consistently were more economical than their brand-name counterparts. Yearly cost of prostaglandin analogs ranged from $427.69 for Travatan (Alcon) to $577.62 for Lumigan (Allergan). The two carbonic anhydrase inhibitors Azopt (Alcon) and Trusopt (Merck & Co), yielded similar economic profiles. Alphagan P 0.15% had yearly calculated costs of $559.08 for twice daily dosing per eye. The generic selective α2-agonist brimonidine tartrate 0.2% (Bausch & Lomb Pharmaceuticals, Tampa, Florida, USA) costs approximately $352.89 and $529.34 per year for the respective two and three drops daily per eye regimens.
Conclusions
Nonselective β-blockers remain the most inexpensive class of glaucoma medications. Bottle size may impact yearly glaucoma medication expenditures. Costs of glaucoma medications may impact decision making in the medical management of glaucoma.
Department of Ophthalmology, Scott and White Memorial Hospital and Clinic, The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, Texas.
Inquiries to Steven D. Vold, Boozman-Hof Regional Eye Clinic, P.A., 3737 West Walnut, Rogers, AR 72756
ABSTRACT