Cost-Efficiency of Medication Safety Program at Public Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Pharmacology, Toxicology and Biomedical Reports, 2019, 5, 3s, S4-S8.
DOI: 10.5530/PTB.2019.5.29
Published: September 2019
Type: Research Article
Authors: Yousef Ahmed Alomi, Mona Awad Alanazi, Radi Abdullah Alattyh, and Fatimah Ali Albusalih

Author(s) affiliations:

Yousef Ahmed Alomi*, The Former General Manager of General Administration of Pharmaceutical Care, Former Head, National Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice. Former Head, Pharmacy R&D Administration, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA.

Mona Awad Alanazi, IV admixture and TPN units, Pharmacy services, Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Hospital Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA.

Radi Abdullah Alattyh, General Administration of Pharmaceutical Care, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA.

Fatimah Ali Albusalih, College of Clinical Pharmacy, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (University of Dammam) Dammam, SAUDI ARABIA.

Abstract

Objectives: Medication safety program started at Riyadh city of Ministry of Health in 2014. Identifying, resolving and preventing drug therapy problems are the unique contributions of the pharmaceutical care practitioner. The research aimed to estimate cost-efficiency of Medication Safety program at the hospital in East province, Saudi Arabia by using American model of pharmacist intervention cost avoidance. Methods: This cross-sectional study with a 9-month recruitment period was conducted in a 300-bed public hospital through preventing and documentation of medication errors in adults and pediatrics at Ministry of Health hospitals in 2015. The program led by trained pharmacist and delivered basic patient safety in medical education to all healthcare professionals. The predictable cost calculated using International Study Model, expressed in USD, the cost measured were the expected results of medication errors outcome if not stopped; starting from physician visit, additional laboratory test, further treatment, hospital admission and critical care admission to death stage. Results: The total number of prevented medication errors were 3,378 at 805 prescribed to 805 patients with an estimated cost avoidance of avoiding medication errors was (98,195.97 USD) for the study period and (10,910 USD) per month. The pharmacist avoided medication errors with estimated cost avoidance of drugrelated problem (29 USD) per each mistake and (122 USD) per prescription and patient. The most type inquiries estimated cost avoidance was prescribing stage 86,939.05 USD (99.86%), followed by drugrelated errors 7,061.26 USD (7.2%) and dosage form-related errors 6,084.98 USD (6.2%). The highest drug of cost avoidance were Musculoskeletal and joint disease (8,397.2 USD) followed by Infections (5,731.17 USD) and Nutrition (4,717.99 USD), while the largest drug of cost avoidance was Paracetamol Injection (5,812.17 USD), followed by oral Ferrous Sulfate (3,562.79 USD) and Ceftriaxone 1g (2,861.70 USD). Conclusion: Medication safety program is a cost-efficiency simulation at the public hospital in Saudi Arabia, prevents medication disasters, improve patient safety. Increasing drug safety program associated with preventing drug-related problems and cost avoidance simulation for Healthcare development and better care and better patient consequences.

Keywords: Cost-efficiency, Hospital, Medication, Ministry of Health, Public, Riyadh, Safety, Saudi Arabia


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