Evaluating availability and price of essential medicines in Boston area (Massachusetts, USA) using WHO/HAI methodology

Table 4 Summary of median price ratios (MPR) of the surveyed prescription medicines in retail pharmacies

4(a). All Medicines analysis
	Overall		Chain Pharmacies		Independent Pharmacies
	Originator Brand (medicines = 10)	Lowest Price Generic (medicines = 13)	Originator Brand (medicines = 8)	Lowest Price Generic (medicines = 12)	Originator Brand (medicines = 3)	Lowest Price Generic (medicines = 10)
Median MPR	158.14	38.03	180.29	39.54	188.56	31.28
Minimum, Maximum MPR	16.43, 655.09	12.52, 155.46	29.29, 663.30	19.15, 168.73	29.52, 655.09	5.37, 122.38
4(b). Matched pair analysis
	Overall		Chain Pharmacies
	Originator Brand	Lowest Price Generic	Originator Brand	Lowest Price Generic
	OB-LPG pairs = 10		OB-LPG pairs = 8
Median MPR	158.14	35.15	180.29	39.54
Minimum, Maximum MPR	16.43, 655.09	12.52, 98.57	29.29, 663.30	28.73, 115.79

In 'all medicines' analysis, overall median MPRs of originator brand (OB) and lowest price generic (LPG) versions of the prescription medicines were statistically different (p-value = 0.04). In chain pharmacies, the median MPRs of OB and LPG versions were statistically different (p-value < 0.05). Significance could not be calculated among independent pharmacies due to low availability of originator products.
In 'matched pair' analysis, too few pairs of sampled prescription medicines were available in independent pharmacies to make meaningful comparisons within such facilities. The overall median MPRs of the OB and LPG versions of prescription medicines were statistically different (p-value = 0.03), both overall and in case of chain pharmacies

ISSN: 2052-3211