Introduction Medication availability and costs can be highly variable across countries
and in different time periods. We aimed to conduct a survey among local experts to
obtain information on the availability and costs of allergic rhinitis medications
in different countries.Methods We sent a survey to members of the Allergic Rhinitis
and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) group, asking for the availability and the lowest
cost of specific allergic rhinitis medications in their respective countries. Data
in local currencies were converted to 2024 US Dollars adjusted for Purchasing Power
Parity (PPP). We compared the costs of different medication classes, assuming, for
each class, the least expensive drug in each country, as well as full treatment adherence.Results
We received responses from ARIA experts in 51 different countries. Intranasal corticosteroids
(INCS) and oral antihistamines (OAH) were available in all countries, but this was
not observed for intranasal antihistamines (INAH) or for INAH+INCS. In most countries,
OAH was the least costly drug class, while INAH+INCS was the most expensive. Among
INCS, beclomethasone was the medication most frequently identified as the cheapest,
while cetirizine and loratadine were the OAH most frequently reported as the least
expensive. Among INAH+INCS, azelastine-fluticasone was more frequently identified
as less costly than olopatadine-mometasone.Conclusion There is an important across-country
and across-class variability in terms of costs of allergic rhinitis medications. The
results of this study will inform the ARIA-EAACI 2024-2025 guidelines.
