Doxycycline costs how much? Many clinicians prescribing antibiotics are astounded by recent developments in the pharmaceutical industry, which have caused the prices of many once-affordable drugs to skyrocket. In the case of the aforementioned antibiotic, the price for 500 capsules soared from $20 to nearly $2,000 in just six months! What's driving the instability in drug prices, and what does it mean for clinicians who need to get their patient on a drug regimen?

At the heart of many of the price surges is the process by which medications are patented and later, opened to competition. The patents granting a drug company exclusive production rights are subject to expiration, and so many medications have a "generic" form made by a different company. Competition between the original manufacturer and the generic usually lowers prices. However, large drug companies owning a soon-to-expire patent might pay a generic manufacture tens of millions of dollars to withhold their generic version for a period of time, thus allowing the first company to continue setting prices in an uncompetitive environment. In other cases, the patent may be acquired by a different company that may decide to increase the price. Finally, some drugs treating rare conditions are not profitable without charging high prices, as in the case of a toxoplasmosis drug that rose 5,000 percent after its patent was sold to a different company.

The burden of drug prices affects clinicians as well as patients. Providing the best care may mean looking up the prices of the drug and prescribing your patients the cheaper version if possible. It is not uncommon for patients to blame their provider for the prices of drugs, or even refuse to take a medication based on its price. If this occurs, a clinician may want to consider prescribing a cheaper drug that has a similar—if less potent—effect, but only in the most stubborn cases of refusal. It's unfortunate, but the need to educate patients on the entire healthcare process often falls to those simply trying to deliver it.

Sources:

http://www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/info-2015/prices-spike-for-generic-drugs.html

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-many-generic-drugs-are-becoming-so-expensive-201510228480

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The information contained in this, or any case study post in Incisor should never be considered a proper replacement for necessary training and/or education regarding adult oral conscious sedation. Regulations regarding sedation vary by state. This is an educational and informational piece. DOCS Education accepts no liability whatsoever for any damages resulting from any direct or indirect recipient's use of or failure to use any of the information contained herein. DOCS Education would be happy to answer any questions or concerns mailed to us at 106 Lenora Street, Seattle, WA 98121. Please print a copy of this posting and include it with your question or request.

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The information contained in this, or any case study post in Incisor, should never be considered a proper replacement for necessary training and/or education regarding adult oral conscious sedation. Regulations regarding sedation vary by state. This is an educational and informational piece. DOCS Education accepts no liability whatsoever for any damages resulting from any direct or indirect recipient's use of or failure to use any of the information contained herein. DOCS Education would be happy to answer any questions or concerns mailed to us at 3250 Airport Way S, Suite 701 | Seattle, WA 98134. Please print a copy of this posting and include it with your question or request.
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