COST OF THE DRUGS DISPENSED FROM PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTERS FOR SUMMER VISITORS TO ASEER REGION

OBJECTIVES: Recognize the patterns and the cost of the drugs dispensed to summer visitors who attended Primary Health Care Centers (PHCCs) in Aseer region. METHODS: This study was conducted in Aseer region during the summer of 1998. The investigators designed and distributed special forms on which were blanks for names, age, sex, diagnosis and drugs that were prescribed for summer visitors who attended PHCCs in Aseer region. At the end of season, all the forms were collected and analyzed manually by well-trained nurses and assistant pharmacists. The cost of the drugs was calculated according to the price list provided by the Medical Supply Department. RESULTS: A total of 96327 forms were evaluated. These represented 25% of the total number of prescriptions issued by PHCC physicians during the summer season. The total cost of the dispensed drugs was estimated as 190533 SR (50808$). About 20% of what was dispensed was for summer visitors who had utilized the PHCC services in Aseer region. Antibiotics and painkillers cost 42% and 21% of the total cost respectively. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the cost of drugs for summer visitors in Aseer region was 20.5% of the total drug cost. This additional cost should be considered in planning the drug budget.