Presentations highlight health-system pharmacy innovations to reduce costs, improve efficiencies
ORLANDO,
December 9, 2013
– Innovative solutions to help hospital and health-system pharmacies reduce
costs, improve efficiencies and uncover untapped revenue will be the focus of four
abstracts selected for presentation at this year’s American Society of
Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting, currently underway.
“At
a time when hospitals and health systems are looking to pharmacies to help
control costs, increase revenue and improve patient care, we are honored that
ASHP is featuring a number of abstracts that highlight McKesson customers and
solutions,” said Scott Miller, senior vice president of McKesson Health Systems. “Our solutions and pharmacy consulting services have demonstrated
clear and impactful results for our customers, and we believe these demonstrations
will offer insights and practices that can help other leaders drive better
business health within their pharmacies.”
ASHP to Feature McKesson Solutions in Four Poster
Sessions
ASHP will feature McKesson
customers and solutions in poster presentations covering the following topics:
- “Economic Impact of Supply Chain Management Initiatives in
an Academic Medical Center” —
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital; December 9, 2–4:30 p.m.
Hospital pharmacy
departments are challenged with meeting drug cost containment goals and
improving inventory control to help meet hospital financial goals. In this
study, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital pharmacy leaders targeted supply
chain management initiatives across the supply chain to achieve multiple
benefits including tighter inventory control, expanded patient assistance
programs, improved accountability and budget assignments, and increased
communication and training. With support and guidance from McKesson’s Pharmacy
Optimization® team, the 969-bed
academic medical center achieved a reduction in wholesaler drug spend of $3.8
million over the previous six months and a 33% inventory reduction totaling
$2.7 million from June 2012 to January 2013.
- “Economic Impact of Seven Clinical Initiatives in a Large
Academic Health System” — Georgia
Regents Medical Center; Monday, December 9, 2–4:30 p.m.
Hospital pharmacy
departments have been historically challenged to reduce costs, with recent
developments in healthcare increasing the urgency. To address this challenge, Georgia Health Sciences Health
System implemented
seven clinical initiatives and calculated savings with a drug spend analytics
software program. The initiatives implemented included: expansion of the
antimicrobial stewardship program, a carbapenem therapeutic interchange,
targeted antimicrobial monitoring, IVIG interchange, transplant drug
optimization, thrombin waste reduction, and optimization of anesthetic
inhalation agents. The 632-bed health system achieved more than $1.3 million in savings (7% of total
drug spend) by measuring cost savings over one year for each initiative.
- “Economic Impact of a Therapeutic Interchange for
Ipratropium Bromide/Albuterol Sulfate Inhalers in a Safety Net Medical Center” — Hennepin County Medical Center and McKesson; Tuesday,
December 10, 2–4:30 p.m.
Hennepin County Medical Center, a 462-occupied-bed,
level-1 medical center, is always evaluating cost containment opportunities in
its pharmacy department. The hospital examined the anti-asthmatic and
bronchodilator agents in order to implement a therapeutic interchange and streamline
the use of agents within this class. Respiratory therapy was involved and
alerts were incorporated into the electronic health record and CPOE system.
After the first four months of implementation, drug spend in this therapeutic
category decreased by 50% ($89,800/month vs. $44,540/month).
- “Justification of Future Drug Expenditures Based on
Historical Usage Patterns” —
Hennepin County Medical Center and McKesson; Tuesday, December 10, 2–4:30 p.m.
By developing a consistent approach to
predict the hospital’s annual drug spend, Hennepin County Medical Center is
able to accurately plan for future drug expenses. The purpose of this project
was to review the top therapeutic drug class expenditures as compared to the
recommended national average predicted increases to facilitate the budget for
the following fiscal year. Using purchase data, historic inflation, and a
customized report for the top drug classes, usage patterns were evaluated to
determine the drivers of the drug costs within each class. Using the specific
usage trends allows a more accurate budget for the pharmacy department. While a
forecasting tool projected drug price inflation and new drug costs at 3.8%
growth in the drug budget, the HCMC model based on actual purchasing and
inflation history projected a 7.3% overall increase.
ASHP Hosted Automation and Technology Session and
Management Case Study
In addition to the
management case studies and educational sessions, ASHP will feature McKesson
customers and solutions in an informatics networking session and management
case study covering the following topics:
- An informatics networking session titled “Use of Automation and Technology for Tracking and Improving
Medication Accountability” will be
hosted by
the ASHP Section of Pharmacy Informatics and Technology’s Advisory Group on Pharmacy
Operations Automation on December
10, 12:30–1:30 p.m. Facilitated by Barbara Giacomelli, PharmD, MBA, FASHP of
McKesson Health Systems and Sarah Bledsoe, Pharm.D. of Children’s Mercy
Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, MO, the session will focus on the use of
automation and technology within the medication-use process to improve the
accountability and tracking of medications. Medications are expensive assets
for healthcare organizations and are often in limited
supply. This session will seek to answer how health-system pharmacies can stay
aware of where the medication inventory is at all points throughout the
distribution process and that it is not diverted, wasted or expired.
- In
the management case study, “Stewardship beyond antibiotic spend: Showing the
value over the long haul,” McKesson Pharmacy Optimization consultant Maggie
Ryman and Edward H. Eiland, III, Pharm.D., MBA, BCPS(AQ-ID), FASHP Clinical
Practice, and Business Supervisor of Huntsville Hospital Department of
Pharmacy, describe
the methods by which stewardship efforts can sufficiently address antibiotic
spend as well as patient health. The implementation has resulted in a
sustainable quality-improvement initiative based on the oversight of three key
elements: appropriate use, microbial resistance and cost.
The benefits of
Huntsville’s antimicrobial management team (AMT) have included an initial
decrease in volume-adjusted antimicrobial expenditure, decreased antimicrobial
resistance, lower rates and severity of infection, long-term relatively flat
volume-adjusted antimicrobial expenditure, a consistent percent of
antimicrobial spend compared to total drug spend, and improved quality of care
and patient outcomes. The results of this management case provide insight on
methods to gain continued justification of the AMT responsible for
Antimicrobial Stewardship activities. AMT has continued to have a monumental
impact on the organization since its inception in FY 2006 as it improves
overall patient-care outcomes while optimizing overall healthcare-resource
utilization.
For more information,
please visit McKesson's online newsroom at www.McKesson.com/newsroom.
About McKesson
McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 14th
on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company
dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. We partner with
payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and
others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organizations that
deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson helps its customers
improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions
that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare
information technology, and business and clinical services. For more
information, visit http://www.McKesson.com.
The
information presented herein does not constitute the rendering of legal,
financial, or other professional advice by McKesson. McKesson is not advocating
any particular program or approach described herein and nothing herein constitutes
a guarantee or representation of future financial performance of your pharmacy.
The results described here are not necessarily an indicator of the results you
should expect at your own pharmacy.
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