Costs and affordability of psychotropic medicines for patients with schizophrenia in Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Schizophrenia is a complex illness, in other words, requires certain costs to tackle the challenge. However, the use of psychotropic medicines is paramount for the disease management and the costs of these medications should be considered in the management especially in low- and – middle income countries. There is over-reliance on out-of-pocket payments among the individuals in these countries whereby a large number of the patients purchase the medicines out of pocket, and majority unable to afford the medicines for their illness. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the costs and affordability of psychotropic medicines for management of Schizophrenia. It specifically evaluated the financial burden of out-of-pocket payment to purchase medicines for patients with Schizophrenia in Nigeria. Method: The study was conducted in a Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Southeastern part of Nigeria using a retrospective, cross-sectional study of the costs of psychotropic medicines for adult patients with Schizophrenia that visited the hospital. Results: All the prescribed oral typical antipsychotics (except chlorpromazine 200mg/day and 300mg/day) gave the patients less than one day wage to pay for medicines, whereas, all the oral atypical antipsychotics gave the patients more than one day wage to pay for the psychotropic medicines. Conclusion: The atypical antipsychotics were unaffordable to the patients. We considered various factors as limitation and recommend interventions for reimbursements or make the psychotropic medicines free for the patients.