Abstract
Objective: Analyze pharmacological therapy and the direct costs involved in the treatment of COVID-19 observed in a field hospital. Methods: A survey was carried out on the clinical protocol adopted by a campaign hospital in the state of Piauí - Brazil, analyzing it according to the costs and clinical indications of the drugs proposed for pharmacological treatment of COVID-19. Results: The studied protocol proposed the use of heparin, omeprazole, hydroxychloroquine, ceftriaxone, azithromycin, oseltamivir, ivermectin and methylprednisolone (Phase 2a or 2b). The drugs that had the greatest impact on daily costs were ceftriaxone R$ 77.00 (32.19%), omeprazole R$ 28.80 (12.04%), heparin [Phases 1 and 2a R$ 32.19 (13,46%) - Phase 2b R$ 64.38 (26.91%)] and methylprednisolone R$ 44.80 (18.73%). The use of two off-label drugs, ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, was observed. Conclusion: The drug protocol for COVID-19 used in the campaign hospital studied, proved to be expensive in view of the intended financing. It is expected that pharmacoeconomic assessments such as the one carried out by this study will allow the best design of new versions of protocols with better cost-benefit ratios.