PubMed · 10437489
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M Halls. Tax avoidance.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10437489/
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We hypothesized that the introduction of a practice guideline for penicillin skin testing would increase the appropriateness of skin testing and reduce antibiotic costs for patients with a history of penicillin allergy who have infections caused by penicillin-susceptible pathogens. We measured the appropriateness of skin testing and daily antibiotic costs before and after the introduction of a guideline for penicillin skin testing. For patients who had negative results of skin testing and were subsequently treated with a penicillin instead of an alternative antibiotic, we calculated the difference between the actual costs and the projected costs of continuing alternative antibiotics without skin testing. After the guideline was introduced, appropriateness of skin testing increased from 17% to 64%, but daily antibiotic costs did not change. For patients who had negative results of skin testing and who were subsequently treated with a penicillin, there was no difference between actual costs and the projected costs if they had not been skin tested. We conclude that introduction of a guideline for penicillin skin testing increases the percentage of eligible patients who have a skin test, and it does so without increasing costs.
The implementation and pharmacoeconomic analysis of a clinical staff pharmacist (CSP) practice model are described. Staff pharmacists at a large, tertiary care, academic medical center were selected and trained to perform clinical pharmacy services under the direction of clinical pharmacy specialist mentors. Clinical interventions by these CSP practitioners were evaluated in terms of direct cost savings (the difference in actual acquisition costs between therapies) and cost avoidance (the dollar value of adverse drug events [ADEs] avoided). The CSPs performed a total of 4959 interventions during a 12-month period. The interventions provided direct cost savings of $92,076 and an estimated cost avoidance of $488,436. Comparing cost savings and cost avoidance with the expenses of providing these services indicated a net economic benefit of $392,660. A new model of pharmacy practice that integrates staff pharmacists into existing clinical practice has the potential to minimize the risks, decrease the costs, and improve the outcomes associated with drug therapy.
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