Pharmaceuticals in Australia: priorities in a teaching hospital.
In spite of rigorous government programs for control of the pricing and dissemination of pharmaceutical products in Australia, the list of new drugs continues to grow and prices to increase. To regain control over drug usage at Royal Adelaide Hospital, the Hospital Drug Committee developed a rating method that judged drugs on the basis of their cost-benefit to patients. The ratio of a total quality score to a total cost score becomes the determinant of additions to the hospital formulary. The background for the Australian approach to pharmaceuticals and the new evaluation technique at the teaching hospital are described in this report.
Adelaide Hospital, South Australia.
B J
BJ
Kearney
D001315:Australia; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000592:standards; D017723:Drug Utilization Review / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005572:Formularies, Hospital as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000458:organization & administration; D007356:Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services / Q000191:economics; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards