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Cost of generic ocular steroids varies
Every week, I work with ophthalmology residents in the operating room at a county hospital to teach them surgical techniques, primarily in cataract surgery. The patients at this hospital are among the kindest and most thankful, and often times are in the midst of financial difficulties. Patients can receive low-cost or even no-cost surgery with the understanding that ours is a teaching facility where resident physicians will do their surgery while supervised and assisted by attending-level doctors.
These patients were typically prescribed generic postoperative medications due to the perception that it was the lowest-cost option. How wrong were we? Many patients have been reporting that the cost of a generic bottle of prednisolone acetate 1% cost nearly $100, or more in some cases. This was a surprise to me since the cost of this medication was far less just a short time ago.
To contrast this, there are now brand name, more potent ocular steroids that manufacturers are supporting with debit cards that limit the patient’s out of pocket cost to $35. For one-third of the cost, we have now switched many of these patients to difluprednate, which has at least double the strength of the prednisolone acetate.
Patients are happy with the lower cost, and we are happy with the increased anti-inflammatory activity, which is particularly helpful in resident cases.
What has been your experience? Have your heard reports from your patients about the cost of generic ocular steroids?