Medication costs for COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the United States have dropped sharply since May, reflecting advances in treatment, shorter stays and use of cheaper generic drugs.
FILE PHOTO: Co-director of the intensive care unit at CommonSpirit's Dignity Health California Hospital Medical Center, Dr. Zafia Anklesaria, 35, who is seven months pregnant, cleans her hands after intubating a COVID-19 patient in the intensive care unit at the hospital where she works, during the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 18, 2020.
“We were throwing the kitchen sink at these patients and now hospitals are getting better at treating these infections,” said G.T. LaBorde, chief executive of IllumiCare, a Birmingham, Alabama-based firm that works with hospitals and analyzes their electronic medical records. But Ganio said pharmacy costs could increase significantly in the months ahead because of remdesivir.
In addition to remdesivir, hospital costs also may rise because of the increased use of tocilizumab, an anti-inflammatory drug widely used to treat arthritis. Hospital use jumped 29% among COVID-19 patients during July compared with the month earlier.
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