WEDNESDAY, Oct. 30, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Generic medications reduce the out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for common neurological conditions, apart from multiple sclerosis, for which costs continue to increase, according to a study published online Oct. 30 in Neurology.

Amanda V. Gusovsky, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University in Columbus, and colleagues examined medical cost trends for five common neurologic conditions. Annual OOP and total medication costs were quantified for 186,144 patients with epilepsy; 54,676 with multiple sclerosis; 45,909 with Parkinson disease; 169,127 with peripheral neuropathy; and 60,861 with dementia/Alzheimer disease who were seen by a neurologist.

The researchers observed an increase in OOP costs for multiple sclerosis medications, by an average of 217 percent. Higher OOP costs were seen for branded epilepsy medications versus generics. In the years after generic introduction, the annual OOP costs of duloxetine, pregabalin, rasagiline, rivastigmine, and memantine decreased 48 to 80 percent.

“Branded neurologic medication costs continue to increase. Using generics remains a powerful strategy for affordable prescribing,” the authors write. “Multiple sclerosis medication costs remain exceptionally high, pose a substantial financial burden, and demand policy solutions such as cost caps.”

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