title: Reducing the cost of headache medication.
abstract: Although medication costs make up one of the smallest portions of the overall expense of headache care, it is the segment of expense that often impacts the patient most directly. The advent of triptans marked a major advance in migraine therapy, but their high cost has limited their widespread use. Four options can be considered as potential means to reduce the cost of triptans. These include compulsory licensing, exclusive contracting, over-the-counter -availability, and the introduction of generic triptans. Each method impacts the consumer, third-party payer, or pharmaceutical company in a different manner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Weber CHE Building, 2nd Floor, 128 E. Apple Street, Dayton, OH 45409-2902, USA. glen.solomon@wright.edu
authors.forename: Glen D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Solomon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017046:Cost Savings / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D016568:Drugs, Generic / Q000191:economics; D006261:Headache / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014363:Tryptamines / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D016568:Drugs, Generic; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D014363:Tryptamines