Inpatient Drug Costs Research Articles

Brief Report: Financial Burden of Toxoplasmosis Encephalitis Treatment at a Safety Net Hospital.

Although the price increase of pyrimethamine in 2015 received heavy media coverage, there are little data regarding specific implications to hospitals and the total costs of treating inpatients with toxoplasmosis encephalitis (TE). Using average drug wholesale costs, we estimated the inpatient drug costs of TE drugs 3 years prepyrimethamine and postpyrimethamine price increase in August 2015. The drug regimens and total doses were determined through retrospective chart review of patients living with HIV who received treatment for TE while inpatient during this period. The 3-year pre-increase TE drug costs for 66 admissions were estimated at $50,310 compared with a total drug cost of $1,026,006 for 61 admissions postincrease. Pyrimethamine made up 98% of the drug costs postincrease, compared with 57% pre-increase. Pyrimethamine-based regimens were the most frequently used throughout the study period. The price increase of pyrimethamine in 2015 led to a substantial and unnecessary financial burden to hospitals. This required health care systems to shift valuable resources to continue to provide medications to a vulnerable patient population. There has been more focus on providing high-value care in recent years. Our study highlights the need for further examination of pharmaceutical companies' arbitrary determination of medication costs and how they contribute to patient care.

Early versus delayed initiation of cytomegalovirus prophylaxis after liver transplant.

Delaying cytomegalovirus (CMV) prophylaxis after liver transplantation may limit medication side effects and reduce inpatient drug costs. The primary objective of this study was to determine the incidence of CMV DNAemia in liver transplant recipients who initiated prophylaxis immediately after transplant (early prophylaxis) and those who initiated prophylaxis on postoperative day 7 or at discharge, whichever came first (delayed prophylaxis). This was a retrospective, single-center study of adult liver transplant recipients between February 2017 and February 2019. Patients who were at low risk for CMV (D-/R-), received dual organs, had a history of invasive CMV disease, or received prophylaxis with an agent other than ganciclovir/valganciclovir were excluded. Chart review of patient profiles was completed 9 months following the transplant, and the primary end point was the first positive CMV PCR within that timeframe. Cumulative incidence of CMV DNAemia was estimated by adjusting for competing events for early and delayed prophylaxis groups. The subdistribution hazard model was utilized to examine the effect of the timing of prophylaxis on CMV DNAemia while accounting for CMV serostatus. Secondary end points included peak quantifiable viral load, time to detection, and incidence of tissue-invasive disease. A total of 119 patients (60 early prophylaxis and 59 delayed prophylaxis) were included, and baseline demographics were similar except for sex. Twenty patients in the early group and 17 in the delayed group developed CMV DNAemia within 9 months of transplant with a cumulative incidence of 31.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 20%, 44%) and 28.8% (95% CI 18%, 41%), respectively. After controlling for CMV serostatus, the relative incidence of DNAemia was similar between prophylaxis groups (subdistribution hazard ratio: 1.01, 95% CI 0.53, 1.90). No significant difference in CMV DNAemia within 9 months of liver transplant was observed between patients who received early and delayed prophylaxis. Future studies are warranted to conclude that delaying prophylaxis can be considered a safe alternative to initiating prophylaxis immediately after transplant.

Initiation of Emicizumab Therapy in an Adult Patient With Hemophilia A With Inhibitors and Associated Drug Cost Savings

Objective: To report the utilization of emicizumab in a patient with severe hemophilia A with inducible inhibitors and the reduction of drug costs related to decreased on-demand recombinant factor VIIa use. Case Summary: A 65-year-old African American man with established hemophilia A with an inducible factor VIII inhibitor presented with a bleeding hematoma from the right posterior thigh. The patient was historically managed on frequent administration of recombinant factor VIIa to achieve hemostasis and was started on every 2-hour dosing during this admission. Emicizumab, a new therapy for hemophilia A, became available during this admission, and the patient discontinued recombinant factor VIIa and transitioned to weekly emicizumab injections. The patient did not require any recombinant factor VIIa during the following 12 months resulting in substantial drug cost savings. Discussion: After initiation of emicizumab therapy, the patient no longer required on-demand treatment with recombinant factor VIIa for bleeds. Through this reduction in recombinant factor VIIa, there was a large decrease in inpatient drug costs and inpatient admissions for bleeding events. Conclusion: The potential reduction in drug costs and inpatient admissions should be considered when determining if emicizumab therapy is appropriate for hemophilia A patients with inhibitors. Further research is needed to confirm that continued long-term use of emicizumab remains associated with a reduction in on-demand treatment.

Evaluation of a comprehensive, integrated, medical service‐based pharmacy practice model

PurposePrior to 2008, the pharmacy practice model utilized by the University of North Carolina (UNC) Medical Center was a traditional central pharmacist and clinical specialist model. The department of pharmacy implemented a unique and innovative pharmacy practice model in 2008 organized around medical services. Through this medical service‐based model, all patients are now covered by a pharmacist. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the sustainability of the improvements associated with the medical service‐based pharmacy practice model at UNC Medical Center, which included pharmacist turnover, employee satisfaction and workforce engagement, resident and student involvement in patient care, and inpatient drug costs.MethodsThis retrospective analysis focused on data spanning fiscal year (FY) 2004 to 2016. Internal data reporting sources were analyzed to evaluate the outcomes of this practice model.ResultsIn FY 2016, 67% of work groups were tier 1 (highest satisfaction tier) and 4% were tier 3 (lowest satisfaction tier) and inpatient pharmacist turnover rate was only 7% compared with a 17% hospital turnover rate. Prior to 2008, the average difference between actual and expected drug expenditures was $2.8 million per year, and post‐implementation, the average difference improved to $3.3 million per year. In FY 2017, the department had 35 residents, representing a 169% increase in number of residency positions available compared with FY 2008. In FY 2016, 134 months of early immersion experiences were offered, 29 months of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs), and 417 months of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs), which represents a 263% increase in IPPE months and a 369% increase in APPE months from FY 2008.ConclusionThis practice model, along with other factors, has had a continued sustained positive impact on employee engagement, inpatient drug costs, and patient care in our health system. In addition, this practice model is organized around pharmacist responsibilities that support continued growth of pharmacy learners.

European payer initiatives to reduce prescribing costs through use of generics

Intr oduction Pharmaceutical expenditure is increasingly scrutinised by payers in view of its rapid growth, outstripping growth in other components of health care [1-7]. This growth has resulted in pharmaceutical expenditure in ambulatory care becoming the largest, or equal to the largest, cost component in this sector [1, 3-9], with expenditure on drugs in ambulatory care typically appreciably greater than inpatient drug costs, particularly in Europe. This growth in pharmaceutical expenditure has been driven by well-known factors including changing demographics, rising patient expectations, strict clinical outcome targets, and the continued launch of new and expensive drugs [1, 3, 5, 6, 10].

Legislation would help safety-net hospitals cut inpatient drug costs

Legislation would help safety-net hospitals cut inpatient drug costs

Strategies to Manage Inpatient Drug Costs

Objective: The aim of this paper is to analyse the reasons for a major increase in expenditure on inpatient pharmaceutical costs over a two year period and to describe strategies developed to prevent further increases. Conclusions: By educating our medical staff on the costs of the most commonly prescribed medications and favouring cost effective medications such as risperidone over olanzapine we have been able to contain our inpatient drug costs and achieve a 14% reduction this financial year.

Pharmaceutical services and inpatient drug costs in bone marrow transplantation

A survey of U.S. bone marrow transplantation (BMT) programs was conducted to determine the role of pharmaceutical services in those programs and the pharmacy department resources allocated to support them. Surveys were sent to 92 U.S. BMT programs to solicit the following information: characteristics of the institution and the BMT program, extent of pharmacist involvement in the BMT program, and pharmacy resource allocation to the program. Fifty-five responses were received (60% response rate). BMT pharmacists were employed by 53 of these institutions (a total of 66 pharmacists). BMT pharmacists at 49 of the 53 institutions (92%) received their salary from the department of pharmacy. Common BMT pharmacist responsibilities included managing adverse effects (100% of respondents), adjusting medication doses (96%), providing drug information (94%), participating in BMT team rounds (87%), maintaining medication profiles (85%), and developing medication protocols (81%). Inpatient BMT-related drug costs (reported by 37 respondents) averaged 12% of the pharmacy's annual inpatient drug budget. One or more pharmacists were members of the BMT team at 46 of 53 institutions. BMT-related drug costs accounted for 12% of the total inpatient drug budget at the 37 institutions reporting cost data.

Changing use of hospital services and costs at a London AIDS referral centre, 1983–1989

To describe the use of hospital-based services and associated costs over time for HIV-infected individuals by disease stage and year of treatment. Data on service use were abstracted from inpatient and outpatient case-notes of 459 HIV-infected patients (121 asymptomatic and 338 AIDS patients) treated at St Mary's Hospital, London between 1983 and 1989. Cost estimates were derived from a survey of the 37 departments involved with HIV-related care. The number and type of admissions and outpatient visits, referral and discharge venues, number and type of tests and procedures performed, drugs prescribed and associated costs for the study period were the outcome measures used. Most patients were homosexual men. At the time of first HIV-related visit, 80.7% lived in London. Most day cases and planned admissions were organized through the outpatient clinic; 31% of emergency admissions were initiated by patients themselves. For people with AIDS the number of day case admissions increased while planned admissions decreased. There was a marked reduction in the duration of inpatient stays, especially for AIDS patients. Costs associated with inpatient care decreased concomitantly. The number of outpatient visits for patients with symptomatic disease increased, resulting in increased outpatient expenditure. Asymptomatic patients had fewer inpatient tests, while outpatient tests did not change over time; costs followed similar patterns. Mean inpatient and outpatient drug-days prescribed did not change nor did average inpatient drug-costs although outpatient drug-costs increased. Inpatient tests performed on symptomatic non-AIDS patients decreased, while mean outpatient tests increased; average costs followed similar patterns. Inpatient drug-days prescribed and costs remained the same, while outpatient drug-days and average drug-costs increased during the study period. For AIDS patients, the number of inpatient tests performed and their average costs decreased but outpatient tests performed increased, though their average costs remained the same. Mean inpatient drug-days prescribed and average drug-costs decreased, while number of outpatient drug-days prescribed and average drug-costs increased markedly over time. For each disease category, expenditure on admissions and related tests decreased over time, while expenditure on outpatient visits and drug-costs increased. The shift from an inpatient- to an outpatient-based service has resulted in fewer patients being investigated and treated in hospital and more as outpatients. This has resulted in a reduction of inpatient-related costs, while outpatient-related costs have increased. The overall contribution of drug-costs to the total cost has increased greatly over time. With the anticipated advent of new antiviral compounds, the importance of ascertaining their effectiveness as well as their efficacy will become crucial.