The List of Medicines for COPD Treatment in State Formulary of Ukraine and Related Costs

Abstract

According to the GOLD-2011 report pharmacotherapy in stable COPD is used to reduce the symptoms, frequency and severity of exacerbations, improve health status and exercise tolerance. MethOds: Our aim was to assess the list of medicines, which are available in Ukraine for COPD treatment. We compared the medications included in the State Formulary of Ukraine with the dosage forms and typical doses of COPD medications list provided by GOLD-2011. Also we calculated annual course costs for each drug in different dosage forms. The annual course was considered as amount of medicine for 365 days in appropriate for COPD basis dosing. Information about the medicine prices was obtained from the ukrainian electronic pricing database "MORION". The EUR/UAH exchange rate was 1 EUR = 10.53 UAH (20.06.2013) Results: The State Formulary of Ukraine (SFU) contains 19 medicines for INN provided by GOLD-2011: 5 INN are in metered dose inhalers (MDI), 5 -in dry powder inhalers (DPI), 1 -in smart mist inhaler (SMI), 5 solutions for nebulizer and 3 -in tablets. Salbutamol, salmeterol, indacaterol, fluticasone, beclomethasone in DPI are not included in the list of SFU, formoterol in MDI and aminophylline, prednisone in tablets are not included in this list as well. The most expensive drug is tiotropium with annual costs 604.46 EUR for SMI and 533.81 EUR for DPI. The annual costs of salmeterol in MDI and formoterol in DPI are 318.55 and 277.30, respectively. The cheapest medicine is salbutamol in MDI with 22.13 EUR annually but annual costs of salbutamol solution for nebulizer amount 464.48 EUR per year per patient. cOnclusiOns: The State Formulary of Ukraine should be reached by medicines for COPD management recommended by GOLD. Annual COPD basis costs are depending not only from kind of medicine but from it dosage forms as well.