Background: Pharmacist interventions are one of the pivotal parts of a clinical pharmacy service within a hospital.\nThis study estimates the cost avoidance generated by pharmacist interventions due to the prevention of adverse\ndrug events (ADE). The types of interventions identified are also analysed.\nMethods: Interventions recorded by a team of hospital pharmacists over a one year time period were included in\nthe study. Interventions were assigned a rating score, determined by the probability that an ADE would have\noccurred in the absence of an intervention. These scores were then used to calculate cost avoidance. Net cost\nbenefit and cost benefit ratio were the primary outcomes. Categories of interventions were also analysed.\nResults: A total cost avoidance of ââ??¬708,221 was generated. Input costs were calculated at ââ??¬81,942. This resulted in\na net cost benefit of ââ??¬626,279 and a cost benefit ratio of 8.64: 1. The most common type of intervention was the\nidentification of medication omissions, followed by dosage adjustments and requests to review therapies.\nConclusion: This study provides further evidence that pharmacist interventions provide substantial cost avoidance\nto the healthcare payer. There is a serious issue of patientââ?¬â?¢s regular medication being omitted on transfer to an\ninpatient setting in Irish hospitals
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