Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with significant economic burdens to both patients and the healthcare system, but pharmaceutical cost analyses are uncommon despite drug therapy being a cornerstone of CKD management.
Methods: This observational, retrospective review of drug cost distribution at a single tertiary care pediatric nephrology program in Canada was conducted on prevalent patients with CKD aged 1 month to 20 years, between 1 January and 31 December 2009.
Results: The time-adjusted annual pharmaceutical cost of our cohort (n = 148) was just below US $250,000 with a cost per patient per year of $1,800. The highest costs were in the growth and nutrition category, followed by anemia, hypertension and bone metabolism. Total drug cost per patient increased as CKD stage advanced. Adherence was not demonstrated in any drug category, and the mean daily pill burden was nine (range 2-23).
Conclusions: This study has shown that while the annual pharmaceutical costs on a per patient basis are similar between children and adults, the cost distribution is very different. An increase in awareness of the unique needs of the pediatric population should allow for more cost-effective financial planning in pediatric CKD clinics.