Pharmacoeconomic aspects of treatment of low respiratory tract infections

Antibacterial chemotherapy is a basis for effective treatment of infectious diseases. The cost of antibacterial preparations is rather significant, which speaks for currency of studying effective treatment schemes that are notable for economic profitability. This problem is studies by the science called pharmacoeconomy.

It was the study of effective schemes of antibacterial treatment of community-acquired pneumonia from the point of pharmacoeconomic view that was the topic of the report made by product manager of the company “Ananta Medicare”, Candidate of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nataliya Nikolayevna Berkalo “Pharmacoeconomic advantages of the use of macrolide antibiotic Aziclar for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia”.

The report was presented within the framework of the 3rd scientific and practical conference “Pharmacoeconomy in Ukraine: condition and development prospects” devoted to antibiotic therapy for infectious diseases, which was held on February 25-26, 2010 in Kharkov.

In her report the author grounded scientifically the rationality of use of the preparation Aziclar (Clarithromycin) instead of inhibitor-protected amoxicillin for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia. In case of indication of inhibitor-protected amoxicillin it is also necessary to prescribe preparations for concomitant therapy (mucolytic agent, anti-inflammatory preparation), for treatment of side effects (probiotic and antihistamine). Owing to the fact that Aziclar (Clarithromycin) in addition to its antibacterial action also has anti-inflammatory and mucoregulatory properties, so there is no need to use additionally mucolytic agent and anti-inflammatory preparation. Aziclar (Clarithromycin) does not affect normal microflora of the intestine, that is why there is no need to use probiotics. Thus, the treatment scheme of community-acquired pneumonia with the preparation Aziclar (Clarithromycin) includes only antihistaminic preparation and is economically beneficial unlike the treatment scheme that includes inhibitor-protected amoxicillin, mucolytic agent, anti-inflammatory preparation, probiotic and antihistamine.

At the conference there was presented an interesting report made by the Head of Ukrainian medical centre of intensive care of sepsis, State Pharmacological Centre of the Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine Leonid Appolonovich Kharchenko, who told the participants of the conference about modern concept of sepsis diagnostics and treatment.

The report made by the Head of the therapy department of Kharkov Medical Academy of Post-graduate Education, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Igor Gennadiyevich Bereznyakov was dedicated to technologies of reasonable antibiotic use. 

The Director of the department of standardization of medical service of the State Pharmacological Centre of Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine, Yelena Mikhaylovna Lishchishina shared her ideas as for the problems of counteraction to antibiotic resistance development with the participants of the conference.

Up-to-date information about pharmacoeconomic aspects of use of antibacterial preparations was also presented by the guests of the conference, who came from Kiev, Vinnitsa, Ivano-Frankovsk, Lvov, Chernovtsy, Kharkov, Moscow and Krasnoyarsk.

Participants of the conference – doctors and provisors – received an enormous volume of really important information about rational (from the point of view of pharmacoeconomy) use of antibacterial preparations for treatment of infectious diseases and will be able to use it in practice in future.