Authors
JS Barbieri, DJ Margolis, BA Brod
Publication date
2017/5/1
Journal
Journal of Investigative Dermatology
Volume
137
Issue
5
Pages
S28
Publisher
Elsevier
Description
Introduction: Tetracycline antibiotics are often used in the treatment of acne and other conditions. Recent price increases threaten access to these medications. Methods: We examined patients with a diagnosis of acne in the de-identified Clinformatics™ DataMart (Optum Insight, Eden Prairie, MN) who were prescribed a course of tetracycline antibiotics between 2004 and 2014. A course of therapy was defined as at least 30 days in duration, with a gap of no more than 30 days between prescriptions. Price was determined by standard cost. Using the 4-or 5-digit labeler section of the National Drug Code, the market share of each manufacturer was identified to calculate the Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI). Results: Between 2012 and 2013, the mean price for doxycycline hyclate prescriptions increased 754% from $15.91 to $119.98. A similar increase in price was not found for minocycline. While the HHI for doxycycline hyclate ranges from 2701 to 3748 over the study period, we do not identify …
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