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The Cost‐Effectiveness of a Clinical Pharmacist Intervention Among Elderly Outpatients
Author(s) -
Cowper Patricia A.,
Weinberger Morris,
Hanlon Joseph T.,
Landsman Pamela B.,
Samsa Gregory P.,
Uttech Kay M.,
Schmader Kenneth E.,
Lewis Ingrid K.,
Cohen Harvey J.,
Feussner John R.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
pharmacotherapy: the journal of human pharmacology and drug therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.227
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1875-9114
pISSN - 0277-0008
DOI - 10.1002/j.1875-9114.1998.tb03858.x
Subject(s) - medicine , intervention (counseling) , pharmacist , clinical pharmacy , cost effectiveness , unit (ring theory) , randomized controlled trial , emergency medicine , family medicine , physical therapy , pharmacy , nursing , psychology , risk analysis (engineering) , mathematics education
We estimated the cost and cost‐effectiveness of a clinical pharmacist intervention known to improve the appropriateness of drug prescribing. Elderly veteran outpatients prescribed at least five drugs were randomized to an intervention (105 patients) or control (103) group and followed for 1 year. The intervention pharmacist provided advice to patients and their physicians during all general medicine visits. Mean fixed and variable costs/intervention patient were $36 and $84, respectively. Health services use and costs were comparable between groups. Intervention costs ranged from $7.50–30/patient/unit change in drug appropriateness. The cost to improve the appropriateness of drug prescribing is thus relatively low.