Economic Barriers in the Treatment of Clostridium difficile Infection With Oral Vancomycin

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2017 Apr 22;4(2):ofx078. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofx078. eCollection 2017 Spring.

Abstract

Vancomycin is an increasingly important option for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection, but economic barriers to its use remain significant in the outpatient setting. Generic vancomycin capsules are still inexplicably expensive and not universally covered by insurers. This report highlights the potential adverse consequences of cost-related nonadherence to vancomycin therapy and the challenges that clinicians face when prescribing oral vancomycin.

Keywords: Clostridium difficile; pharmaceutical costs; vancomycin..