Is the Chemo drug the same quality in different hospitals?

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Elijah
Elijah Member Posts: 7
edited March 2016 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

Hello everybody, I am confused about this topic.

The price of the treatment varies a lot from one hospital to another hospital. For example in a private hospital is obviously much more expensive than in a government hospital. My question is, for the same treatment TC, the difference on the price from one to another relies only on the service, facilities...., or on the quality on the drugs as well, in this case Taxotere and Cyclophosphamide.

If I go to a "cheaper" place, am i sacrificing the quality of the drugs or only the extra "luxury" things that a private hospital offers?

I hope I am explaining myself correctly, is not as easy to write as it is in my head...

Thanks everyone for your attention.

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited March 2016

    Hi!

    I don't know where you live or what your government hospitals are like. But, there aren't that many producers of cancer drugs (that's why they can charge such high prices!). I would assume that the drugs would be the same but that the amenities might be different. For example, the government infusion center might be more crowded and have fewer staff, which might mean a longer day at the infusion center. The private hospital might have more goodies (snacks, drinks, warm blankets) that might make your day at the infusion center more pleasant. You might want to visit both a government and a private infusion center to see what they are like.

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  • muska
    muska Member Posts: 1,195
    edited March 2016

    Just want to add a couple of things to take into account. At the US hospital where I was treated, on the day of the infusion I had my blood drawn and tested in the morning. The results were available within 30-45 minutes and reviewed by my oncologist immediately, only after that the prescription for the chemo would go to the pharmacy and they would start prepping me for the infusion. Based on those lab results my doc adjusted chemo doses two or three times. Once, the infusion was cancelled and blood transfusion was ordered instead.

    Please ask how you will be followed - it's important. As for the drug itself, I would expect it to be the same.

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  • leggo
    leggo Member Posts: 3,293
    edited March 2016

    Are you in Canada or the UK? If so, often prices are dependant on the patient pool and the negotiations with the drug company that supplies the drug. Prices can vary from province to province in Canada. Also, generics, if there are any, affect price.

    If not, the only contributing factor would be the cost of the extras tied to treating the disease, for example, blood draws, suites, equipment, incidentals and payroll.

    Here's a link that pretty well sums up cancer drug pricing. If you don't want to read the whole thing, you might find your answer in pages 26-29 or so (not 100% sure on the pages, it's been a while since I've revisited the article).

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC353839...


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  • leggo
    leggo Member Posts: 3,293
    edited March 2016

    Also, here's a list of generic chemotherapy drugs along with their brand name counterparts, that would affect price.

    http://www.cancerquest.org/chemotherapy-drug-table...


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