78th Annual PostGraduate Assembly in Anesthesiology (PGA78) 2024

Let’s Do the Math: Collaboration & Optimization Leads to Shared Cost Savings

Introduction:

Healthcare costs are on the rise
A significant source of medical expense is medication inventory in automated medication dispensing cabinets

We aimed to reduce expenses, minimize waste, increase operational efficiency, and improve patient safety through optimization of frequently utilized medications stocked in automated medication dispensing cabinets based on department-specific demand

Intervention:

Multiple medications were stocked at high inventories in areas where usage was rare, or not at all

To mitigate waste, inventory adjustments were considered to consolidate minimally used medications into a central, yet easily accessible, location

Any medications not used within their respective automated medication dispensing systems during the study period were evaluated for removal with discussion and mutual agreement between the Anesthesiology and Pharmacy departments

Outcomes:

Multiple medications were stocked at high inventories in areas where usage was rare, or not at all

To mitigate waste, inventory adjustments were considered to consolidate minimally used medications into a central, yet easily accessible, location

Any medications not used within their respective automated medication dispensing systems during the study period were evaluated for removal with discussion and mutual agreement between the Anesthesiology and Pharmacy departments

References:

Barbariol, Federico MD; Deana, Cristian MD; Lucchese, Francesca MD; Cataldi, Giuseppe MD; Bassi, Flavio MD; Bove, Tiziana MD; Vetrugno, Luigi MD; De Monte, Amato MD. Evaluation of Drug Wastage in the Operating Rooms and Intensive Care Units of a Regional Health Service. Anesthesia & Analgesia 132(5):p 1450-1456, May 2021. | DOI: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000005457
Papanicolas I, Woskie LR, Jha AK. Health care spending in the United States and other high-income countries.JAMA. 2018;319(10):1024- 1039. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.1150
Shrank WH, Rogstad TL, Parekh N. Waste in the US Health Care System: Estimated Costs and Potential for Savings. JAMA. 2019;322(15):1501-1509. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.13978

Let’s Do the Math: Collaboration and Optimization Leads to Shared Cost Savings