Medication Cost Savings in Hospice and Palliative Care Through Implementation of a Quick-Reference Medication Guide
Author
Sabol, Brittney
Abstract
Symptom management is an integral component of end-of-life care provided by hospice services. This project employed a list of alternative low-cost medication options for symptom management to decrease medication costs to the hospice organization. This project applied a multifaceted educational approach to lower the average overall medication cost and the average nonformulary medication cost per patient per day. A quick-reference guide was created and comprised of a target medication list of high-cost, high-use medications, and medications proposed by the nursing and pharmacy staff. In collaboration with the organization’s pharmacy team, a list of low-cost alternative and formulary options with cost comparisons was defined for each target medication and included in the guide. All nursing staff was educated regarding the quick-reference guide and its use. The tools were disseminated physically and digitally to all home care and hospice house nurses and providers. Post-implementation data showed an average of $2.92 cost reduction in overall medication cost and $0.35 cost reduction in nonformulary medication cost per patient per day. These findings compute to a projected estimated annual savings of $149,212 to $159,870 for overall medication cost and $17,885 to $19,162 for nonformulary medication cost, dependent upon patient census. These findings support the use of a multifaceted educational approach to medication cost reduction in the hospice setting. However, further investigation of other methods is warranted, and more robust studies are needed to fully estimate the long-term impact of a project like this.
Date
2022-04-21
Citation:
APA:
Sabol, Brittney.
(April 2022).
Medication Cost Savings in Hospice and Palliative Care Through Implementation of a Quick-Reference Medication Guide
(DNP Scholarly Project, East Carolina University). Retrieved from the Scholarship.
(http://hdl.handle.net/10342/10573.)
MLA:
Sabol, Brittney.
Medication Cost Savings in Hospice and Palliative Care Through Implementation of a Quick-Reference Medication Guide.
DNP Scholarly Project. East Carolina University,
April 2022. The Scholarship.
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/10573.
April 26, 2024.
Chicago:
Sabol, Brittney,
“Medication Cost Savings in Hospice and Palliative Care Through Implementation of a Quick-Reference Medication Guide”
(DNP Scholarly Project., East Carolina University,
April 2022).
AMA:
Sabol, Brittney.
Medication Cost Savings in Hospice and Palliative Care Through Implementation of a Quick-Reference Medication Guide
[DNP Scholarly Project]. Greenville, NC: East Carolina University;
April 2022.
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