[Potential impact of measures to minimise costs of pharmaceutical provision in the province of Toledo].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the potential saving in the pharmaceutical cost that would suppose the use of equivalent pharmaceutical specialties and smaller price, in the main groups of pharmaceutical cost in 1998.


METHODS
Pharmacoepidemiologic study of drug utilization and a pharmaeconomic analysis of minimisation costs.


METHODS
Primary care of the province of Toledo.


METHODS
Prescriptions with official medical prescription of the pharmaceutical groups of greater cost during 1998 (peptic antiulcer, hipolipemiants, antagonists of calcium, hipotensors, peripheral vasodilators, macrolids, nonsteroidal antiinflamatories and antirheumatics, antidepressants and bronchodilatadors).


METHODS
Calculation of consumption by means of defined daily doses, cost of treatment to the day and potential saving.


RESULTS
The potential saving in 1998 in the province of Toledo was 1405 million pesetas, which supposes 25% of the total amount of the pharmaceutical cost. Omeprazol, ranitidin and enalapril with 44.65, 46.02 and 32.84% of variation between prescribed and the cheapest alternative, were the specialties with a greater potential of saving.


CONCLUSIONS
The alternative to prescribe equivalent pharmaceutical specialties and of smaller price has a great potential of saving.
Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud de Castilla-La Mancha, Consejería de Sanidad, 45600 Talavera de la Reina (Toledo), Spain. jjcriado@jccm.es
J J
JJ
Criado-Alvarez
G
G
Rodríguez Caravaca
J
J
Gonseth
C
C
Romo Barrientos
D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D016527:Drug Costs; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000191:economics*; D016568:Drugs, Generic / Q000191:economics*; D017850:Economics, Pharmaceutical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D018803:Models, Economic; D017891:Pharmacoepidemiology; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013030:Spain
D016568:Drugs, Generic