title: The cost-effectiveness of clinical pharmacist intervention on tobramycin prescribing.
abstract: The cost-effectiveness of clinical pharmacist intervention in reducing the use of tobramycin and in the pharmacokinetic monitoring of aminoglycoside therapy to prevent serious nephrotoxicity were evaluated. Prescribing practices for tobramycin were compared between two similar medical teams, one with clinical pharmacist services, the other without. A statistically significant difference was observed between the number of patients who received tobramycin in the two teams, and a cost saving of $5,072.85 was achieved in 3 months. The potential for hospitalwide cost savings is substantial if gentamicin can be substituted for tobramycin in selected circumstances and followed with appropriate monitoring.
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000191:economics; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006801:Humans; D008824:Michigan; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics*; D014031:Tobramycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*