Use of costly drugs: Practical Tip

In this day of audits and cost containment, it is important to keep an eye on the cost of the drugs you are prescribing, especially the cost vs. quality value.

One Doc used to keep 2-3 brand names in mind for each molecule, including the costliest brand name in the market. He used to prescribe the cheaper but quality drugs in routine practice. Once in a while, he is confronted by some patient who considers that the cost of the medicines is the only guarantee to good treatment. Even if you try to explain to them, that cheaper drugs do not mean poor drugs, it is of no avail.

One such patient confronted the doctor and demanded that he write some good and heavy drug, instead of the common drugs he was prescribing. Trying to make him understand was of no avail.

 So, Doc changed his prescription from Ofloxacin to Linezolid & Cefuroxime, Paracetamol to Aceclofenac, Ranitidine to Pantaprozole and with one multivitamin capsule and one hematinic bottle thrown in for the extra punch. The cost of the prescribed drugs previously was approx Rs 20/day which now was about Rs 200/ day.

The patient learned his lesson. Next time, he meekly requested the doctor to write drugs according to his own wishes and it need not be so heavy. So, once in a while, even the costliest brand names in the market do come in handy.

— NKD

Do you have any tips on the practical aspect of practicing medicine? Please do share with us.

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost.

 

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