Pharmacist Intervention Saves Hospital More Than $100,000 Over 1 Year

Tracing reports, documents used by pharmacists to communicate nonurgent but important patient medication information to physicians, were estimated to save one hospital nearly $400 per report. Researchers published the findings in Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin.

“In this study … we examined cases of pharmaceutical intervention initiated at our hospital by information and prescription proposals through tracing reports sent from pharmacy-based pharmacists,” wrote a research team associated with Kagawa University Hospital in Japan. “These were analyzed to evaluate their medical economic effects from avoiding adverse drug reactions.”

The study included 267 tracing reports issued by 23 pharmacies and faxed to the hospital pharmacy between November 1, 2020, and October 31, 2021. Among the tracing reports, 81 were pharmaceutical interventions (52 to avoid adverse drug reactions and 29 to improve therapeutic effects), and 15 were interventions to reduce leftover medicines. Four resulted in the avoidance of serious adverse drug reactions or exacerbation of the patient’s condition.

According to the study, the interventions created an estimated total cost savings of $108,170.02—$104,800 via pharmaceutical interventions and $3370.02 via interventions to reduce leftover medicines.

Per tracing report, estimated cost savings were $392.51 via pharmaceutical interventions and $12.62 via reducing leftover medicines.

“This suggests that pharmaceutical intervention using tracing reports contributes to the avoidance of adverse drug reactions and improvements in the effectiveness of drug therapy, and provides medical economic benefits similar to those from pharmaceutical interventions associated with inquiries,” researchers wrote.

“These interventions,” they added, “appear to contribute to the reduction of both leftover medicine and medication expenses in outpatient services.”

Reference:
Koshino Y, Tanaka H, Tatsumichi T, Houchi Y, Nishimura J, Kosaka S. Medical economic benefit derived from the use of tracing reports by pharmacy-based pharmacists for pharmaceutical intervention and reduction of leftover medicines. Biol Pharm Bull. 2022;45(10):1482-1488. doi:10.1248/bpb.b22-00351