Protocol Development and Quality Improvement

Appendix 2. Example of Interventions and Clinical Pharmacy Services Cost Savings

Pharmacy Department

Data for 2024

Measure

Benchmark

1st Quarter

2nd Quarter

3rd Quarter

4th Quarter

interventions

None

10,298

Outcomes cost and raw

drug cost savings from

pharmacotherapeutic

interventions

None

$477,867

$681,967

$652,145

$701,542

Findings/Conclusion: For 2021, the total number of pharmacotherapeutic interventions remained the same from the

previous year with 20,940 interventions, realizing $846,245 in outcomes and raw drug cost savings. For 2022, the total

number of pharmacotherapeutic interventions remained similar to the prior year with 24,500 interventions, realizing

$950,471 in outcomes and medication use savings. For 2023, the total number of pharmacotherapeutic interventions

remained similar to the prior year with 23,452 interventions, realizing $904,254 in outcomes and raw drug cost savings.

For 2024, the total number of pharmacotherapeutic interventions increased with 35,459 interventions documented,

realizing $2,513,521 in outcomes and raw drug cost savings.

dosing adjustments of medications, providing pharmacokinetic consultations, avoiding drug-drug and drug-

food interactions, avoiding toxic medications, avoiding drug-disease contraindications, avoiding drug-allergy

interactions, approving and dosing restricted antibiotics, switching patients from intravenous medications to oral

medications, initiating more effective or safer drug therapies, initiating equally efficacious but less expensive

medications, discontinuing unnecessary and duplicate medications, changing dosage forms according to patient

tolerance, switching nonformulary to formulary medications, and making recommendations to monitor for efficacy

and toxicity.

Clinical pharmacists review and respond to abnormal drug blood concentration assays and laboratory values such

as serum chemistry and coagulation profiles as they pertain to medication management. Notes documenting the

interventions are placed in the pharmacy profile. Depending on the quantity of pharmacotherapeutic interventions and

the resulting cost savings, the Pharmacy Department’s efforts to document clinical interventions, ensure medication

safety, and contain medication-related costs have been very effective.

Action Indicated: No additional actions are required. The Pharmacy Department will continue to perform and

document clinical interventions and evaluate the resulting cost savings.