Syed Tabish Razi Zaidi1, Yahaya Hassan, Maarten J Postma, Seiw Hain Ng. 1. Department of Pharmaceutical Care, King Abdul Aziz Hospital, National Guards Health Affairs-Eastern Region, P.O. Box # 2477, Al Ahsa 31982, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. zaidisk@ngha.med.sa
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To analyse clinical pharmacists interventions in the ICU of the Penang General Hospital (Penang, Malaysia) and to assess the pharmaco-economic impact of these interventions. METHODS: A clinical pharmacist reviewed drug prescriptions during one month. Drug-related problems were documented on a prepared from including a suggestion for a change in prescribing. Such recommendations were submitted to the nursing/medical staff. Acceptance of the recommendation was entirely at the discretion of the medical staff. All recommendations were analysed with respect to potential pharmaco-economic impact: cost savings, cost avoidance or cost addition. RESULTS: The ICU pharmacist made 57 recommendations, of which the medical staff rejected only 5%. The majority of detected drug-related problems referred to unnecessary drug therapy (37%). Recommendations resulted in net cost savings of RM 15,227 (USD 4,007). This corresponded with RM 634 per patient intervened by the pharmacist. CONCLUSION: Pharmacists interventions in the ICU of a Malaysian hospital resulted in significant cost savings in terms of drug expenses and can therefore be suggested as a routine practice in our hospital.
OBJECTIVES: To analyse clinical pharmacists interventions in the ICU of the Penang General Hospital (Penang, Malaysia) and to assess the pharmaco-economic impact of these interventions. METHODS: A clinical pharmacist reviewed drug prescriptions during one month. Drug-related problems were documented on a prepared from including a suggestion for a change in prescribing. Such recommendations were submitted to the nursing/medical staff. Acceptance of the recommendation was entirely at the discretion of the medical staff. All recommendations were analysed with respect to potential pharmaco-economic impact: cost savings, cost avoidance or cost addition. RESULTS: The ICU pharmacist made 57 recommendations, of which the medical staff rejected only 5%. The majority of detected drug-related problems referred to unnecessary drug therapy (37%). Recommendations resulted in net cost savings of RM 15,227 (USD 4,007). This corresponded with RM 634 per patient intervened by the pharmacist. CONCLUSION: Pharmacists interventions in the ICU of a Malaysian hospital resulted in significant cost savings in terms of drug expenses and can therefore be suggested as a routine practice in our hospital.
Authors: Bogdan Tiru; Ernest K DiNino; Abigail Orenstein; Patrick T Mailloux; Adam Pesaturo; Abhinav Gupta; William T McGee Journal: Pharmacoeconomics Date: 2015-09 Impact factor: 4.981