title: A utilization and cost-benefit analysis of an aminoglycoside kinetics monitoring service.
abstract: Utilization and cost-benefit analysis of an aminoglycoside kinetics monitoring service were performed. Utilization was reviewed for 161 patients using the service between May 1, 1986 and April 30, 1987. The cost-benefit analysis used a cohort of 48 matched patients for the same time period. Pharmacy-based dosing recommendations were compared to physician-based dosing recommendations. According to specific guidelines, most pharmacy-based dosing recommendations were acceptable (91%) and followed either in full (76%) or in part (13.6%). According to specified criteria, gentamicin could have been substituted for tobramycin in 29.4% of courses of therapy. No statistically significant benefits (p less than 0.05) were associated with pharmacy-based recommendations, which cost $47.43 each, or $26.48 more than a physician-based recommendation. Although the service yields appropriate recommendations and is well received, our results suggest that further studies must be conducted to define methods by which a cost-benefit ratio greater than one may be realized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University Hospital, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pinilla
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shafran
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Conly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood / Q000191:economics / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents