Objective: To evaluate antibiotic costs and the cost-effectiveness of Augmentin 625 mg and Auclanityl 500 mg/125 mg in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia.
Subject and methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 136 inpatients with community-acquired pneumonia at Hoc Mon regional General Hospital, including 70 patients treated with Augmentin and 66 patients treated with Auclanityl.
Results: The mean antibiotic costs in the Augmentin and Auclanityl groups were VND 180,129 and VND 118,252, respectively. The corresponding rates of clinical improvement were 91.4% and 87.9%, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The average cost-effectiveness ratios of Augmentin and Auclanityl were VND 197,100 and VND 134,600 per patient achieving clinical improvement, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of Augmentin compared with Auclanityl was VND 1,767,914 per additional patient achieving clinical improvement.
Conclusion: No statistically significant difference in the rate of clinical improvement was observed between the two groups. Auclanityl was associated with lower antibiotic costs and a lower average cost-effectiveness ratio than Augmentin. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of Augmentin should be interpreted cautiously because an appropriate willingness-to-pay threshold for one additional patient achieving clinical improvement has not yet been established.