Advice
Evidence review: economic issues
Cost
The current NHS cost of rifaximin (excluding VAT; costs taken from Drug Tariff, March 2014) is:
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£15.15 for 9×200 mg tablets (Xifaxanta)
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£259.23 for 56×550 mg tablets (Targaxan).
Based on these costs, and a cost for ciprofloxacin of £1.10 for 10×500 mg tablets (excluding VAT; cost taken from Drug Tariff, March 2014)
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A course of rifaximin 400 mg 3 times daily for 4 weeks costs £282.80
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A course of rifaximin 1 g twice daily plus ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice daily for 2 weeks costs £238.75
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Three months' prophylaxis with rifaximin 200–1800 mg daily costs £141.40 to £1272.60
Current drug usage
Prescription cost analysis for England showed that in 2012 there were a total of 3975 prescription items for rifaximin 200 mg in primary care at a cost of £623,723, and 1 prescription item for rifaximin 550 mg at a cost of £128. No information is available on the proportion of these prescriptions that was prescribed for the treatment of pouchitis.