Pharmacists Providing Palliative Care Services: Demonstrating a Positive Return on Investment

Abstract

Objective: To establish a return on investment (ROI) for a pharmacist position on a hospital-based palliative care (PC) team. Background: Utilizing a pharmacist to provide PC services is often overlooked as a solution to physician shortages. Integration of a pharmacist into PC teams yields a favorable ROI. Methods: A 16-month retrospective review comparing PC patients at two hospitals with consultative PC teams. The PC teams at the two facilities had identical full-time equivalent team members, except for a PC pharmacist at Facility 1. The PC pharmacist's ROI was calculated based on cost savings created by utilizing the PC pharmacist as a physician extender and costs attributable to preventable adverse drug events (pADEs) identified by the PC pharmacist. Results: An annual ROI of 1.2 to 2.9 million dollars was calculated, $125,760 from physician time saved and $1.1-2.8 million dollars from pADEs. A statistically significant difference in rates of pADEs was realized between the PC pharmacist and non-PC pharmacists at Facility 1 as well as between pharmacists at Facility 1 (PC pharmacist and non-PC pharmacists) and pharmacists at Facility 2 (non-PC pharmacists). Conclusion: A PC pharmacist's unique qualifications and perspective contribute to the value of care provided to PC patients. A favorable ROI that exceeds a pharmacist's annual salary was demonstrated in this analysis.

Pilot of a pharmacist‐integrated interprofessional team to optimize prescribing in a telemedicine palliative care clinic

“…These contributions align with the American Society of Health‐Systems Pharmacists Guidelines on the Pharmacist's Role in Palliative and Hospice Care 16 . A retrospective review showed that a palliative care pharmacist's participation in the PCT resulted in a return on investment of 1.2 to 2.9 million dollars over a 16‐month timeframe 17 …”

“…16 A retrospective review showed that a palliative care pharmacist's participation in the PCT resulted in a return on investment of 1.2 to 2.9 million dollars over a 16-month timeframe. 17 Polypharmacy is often defined as routinely taking five or more medications. 18 Polypharmacy has become increasingly common, with one cross-sectional analysis finding that the proportion of adults dispensed five or more medications has doubled between 1995 and 2010.…”

Oncology Pharmacists Can Reduce the Projected Shortfall in Cancer Patient Visits: Projections for Years 2020 to 2025

“…These notions were supported by a nurse from the Office of Nursing Affairs of the Veterans Affairs, stating that OPs were already extending capacity by managing oral oncology clinics. Another participant stated that incorporating pharmacists into the palliative care team was a cost-effective strategy for increased patient services [17].…”

Relationship between the number of hospital pharmacists and hospital pharmaceutical expenditure: a macro-level panel data model of fixed effects with individual and time

“…They can provide comprehensive drug therapy, including the observation of pharmacokinetic parameters, timely adjustment of medication regimens, review of prescriptions and working as a part of a multidiscipline, because they have more contact with inpatients and grasp more information [35]. Furthermore, clinical pharmacists can provide medication counseling for patients and their families [36], so clinical pharmacists may save more PE for inpatients. Physicians may increase hospital outpatient PE.…”