Cost of medications during hospitalization for covid-19 in a high complexity hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22491/2357-9730.141469Keywords:
Drug Costs, Hospital Costs, COVID-19, BrazilAbstract
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought instability to the supply chain as hospital admissions increased exponentially. Among the resources consumed by patients, medications represent a significant part of this cost. Objectives: Partial economic analysis of medications used during hospitalization due to COVID-19. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study with data collection from the medical records of 356 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from March 17, 2020, to September 15, 2021, in a public, university hospital and reference for severe cases of COVID-19 in RS. The cost of medications was collected in reais and converted to dollars. Results: The median total cost of drug treatment was US$203.76 (25-75% IQR US$73.36 - US$1,245.53), and the median cost/day was US$16.06 (25-75% IQR 8.13 - US$54.49) per patient. Higher drug costs were observed in men (p=0.003), chronically ill patients (p=0.023), those who required intensive care (p<0.001) and those who died (p<0.001). The drug with the highest consumption and financial impact was fentanyl. Neuromuscular blockers and antimicrobials were responsible for a significant effect on total costs. Conclusion: Drug therapy had a significant impact on hospital costs. The high heterogeneity of costs may be associated with differences in the clinical characteristics of patients and the severity of the disease.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Priscila Becker Packeiser, Leonardo Regis Leira Pereira
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