RESUMO
The cost-effectiveness of pharmacists and their effect on inpatient health care outcomes were evaluated. For one year, data were collected on all patients receiving care from general medicine and general surgery teams at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Two of five medicine teams and one of three surgery teams included a pharmacist. Teams that included a pharmacist were compared with teams that did not, in terms of patients' length of stay (LOS), mortality, and drug cost per admission. Data were compared for 3081 patients and collected for another 557 who were not included in the comparative study design. Health care teams that included a pharmacist had a shorter log LOS and lower log drug cost per admission but no difference in mortality. The average cost savings for teams that included a pharmacist was $377 per inpatient admission, and the benefit-to-cost ratio was 6.03:1. The inclusion of pharmacists on health care teams was cost-effective and provided a favorable benefit-to-cost ratio.
Assuntos
Avaliação de Processos e Resultados em Cuidados de Saúde , Equipe de Assistência ao Paciente , Serviço de Farmácia Hospitalar/normas , Adulto , Análise Custo-Benefício , Técnicas de Apoio para a Decisão , Grupos Diagnósticos Relacionados , District of Columbia , Feminino , Hospitais Militares/normas , Humanos , Tempo de Internação/estatística & dados numéricos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Equipe de Assistência ao Paciente/estatística & dados numéricos , Serviço de Farmácia Hospitalar/economia , Serviço de Farmácia Hospitalar/estatística & dados numéricos , Estudos ProspectivosRESUMO
An experiment was designed to determine if the installation of a pharmacy computer produced a significant change in the distribution of routine inpatient dispensing activities for pharmacy personnel. Data were obtained using time lapse motion picture photography and work sampling procedures. Cameras were placed in three different locations for 6 days over a 2-week period before and after installation of the computer. A sample of approximately 2000 observations was reduced to machine readable format and analyzed using nonparametric statistical procedures. Results indicated a shift in work patterns of pharmacy personnel. It was concluded that the installation of a pharmacy computer had a significant effect on the distribution of routine inpatient dispensing activities. Pharmacy management should consider this information in anticipating efficient use of personnel and proper placement of computer hardware.
