A review of cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses of clinical pharmacy services.

This paper discusses the purpose and methodology of the economic evaluation techniques of cost-benefit (CBA) and cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA). It then reviews applications of the techniques in 22 evaluative studies, published between 1978 and mid-1987, of clinical pharmacy services in organized health care settings. Major conclusions are that CBA and CEA have not been extensively adopted in the evaluation of clinical pharmacy services and that the studies which have been done are lacking in rigor.