Economic barriers to psychiatric care: A comparative cost analysis of essential psychiatric drugs and Janaushadhi alternatives.

IF 2.4 4区医学 Q3 PSYCHIATRY

Indian Journal of Psychiatry Pub Date : 2026-06-01 Epub Date: 2026-06-20 DOI:10.4103/indianjpsychiatry_851_25

Omar Afroz, Raja Babu Ramawat, Siddharth Sarkar

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Access to affordable medications is an important determinant of treatment adherence and continuity of care. High out-of-pocket expenditure and cost disparities pose barriers and contribute to poor treatment adherence.

Aim: We aimed to (1) analyze cost variation among different brands of essential psychiatric medications listed in the National List of Essential Medications (NLEM) 2022, and (2) compare market prices with corresponding generic drugs from the Janaushadhi Scheme.

Methods: A cross-sectional price analysis was conducted using the current index of medical specialties (CIMS) and the Janaushadhi database.

Results: There was high variation in market costs, ranging from 20.8% (Carbamazepine liquid) to 1604.4% (Clonazepam 0.5 mg). Median branded costs were higher than generic Janaushadhi prices. The cost ratio (branded price/generic price) was highest for Escitalopram 10 mg tablet (>7).

Conclusion: Substantial price variation exists even among essential psychiatric medications, potentially undermining equitable access, particularly for economically disadvantaged groups.

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精神科护理的经济障碍：基本精神科药物和Janaushadhi替代品的比较成本分析。

背景：获得负担得起的药物是治疗依从性和护理连续性的重要决定因素。高昂的自付费用和费用差异构成障碍，并导致治疗依从性差。目的：分析《国家基本药物目录（NLEM） 2022》中不同品牌精神科基本药物的成本差异，并与Janaushadhi计划中相应仿制药的市场价格进行比较。方法：采用现行医学专业指数（CIMS）和Janaushadhi数据库进行横断面价格分析。结果：市场成本差异较大，从卡马西平液20.8%到氯硝西泮0.5 mg不等。品牌成本中位数高于Janaushadhi仿制药的价格。艾司西酞普兰10mg片剂的成本比（品牌价/仿制药价）最高。结论：即使在基本精神药物之间也存在巨大的价格差异，这可能会破坏公平获取，特别是对经济弱势群体。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Indian Journal of Psychiatry Medicine-Psychiatry and Mental Health

CiteScore

4.40

自引率

3.20%

发文量

130

审稿时长

34 weeks

期刊介绍： The Indian Journal of Psychiatry (ISSN 0019-5545), is an official publication of the Indian Psychiatric Society. It is published Bimonthly with one additional supplement (total 5 issues). The IJP publishes original work in all the fields of psychiatry. All papers are peer-reviewed before publication. The issues are published Bimonthly. An additional supplement is also published annually. Articles can be submitted online from www.journalonweb.com . The journal provides immediate free access to all the published articles. The journal does not charge the authors for submission, processing or publication of the articles.