Reducing Waste and Conserving Fluids Using IV Workflow Software

An evaluative study presented at the ASHP 2018 Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition explained ways one hospital combats drug shortages using preventive measures.

Thomas Chranowski, PharmD, BCPS clinical staff pharmacist,  Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Brown Mills, NJ, said, “The profession of pharmacy is under constant pressure to provide optimal care with limited resources.”

The project conducted at his facility assessed the “impact of IV workflow adjustment through the use of IV workflow software by tracking wasted compounded sterile products before and after implementation.”

The project included using data from a baseline week in June 2017 and comparative week in November 2017 after IV workflow software was implemented. The study explained, “Prior to the use of the workflow software, items to be compounded were determined using paper profiles and printed labels—and at the discretion of the compounder.” The software does away with the manual and cumbersome process. 

To compare the success of the software, Dr Chranowski explained that midnight patient census was recorded during the waste weeks to standardize waste as “cost per patient day” as fluctuating census could affect total amount of wasted products. Cost savings per year was calculated based on average midnight census 1/1/2018-3/31/2018. 

Results showed that the wasted compounded sterile products in week 1 was $1444.52 compared to week 2’s $615.84. The difference in total cost savings being $828.68, an estimated $1.51 per patient per day. 

“This represents an annual cost savings to the pharmacy drug budget of greater than $32,000,” said Dr Chranowski. “The use of IV workflow software resulted in significant reduction of sterile compounding waste at our instituation. This led to significant cost saving as well as concersation of fluids during widespread shortages.”

—Edan Stanley