Addressing stakeholders' needs: economics and patient satisfaction.
OBJECTIVE
The economics of acute post-operative pain management are discussed. Studies identifying cost drivers in post-operative pain treatment and the economic sequelae of undertreated pain are reviewed. The relative costs of intermittent intramuscular analgesia, intravenous patient-controlled analgesia, and epidural analgesia are described. Medication errors and their consequences are addressed. The importance of patient satisfaction and data on its correlation with acute post-operative pain are reviewed.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the economics of acute post-operative pain treatment are difficult to accurately assess, studies have demonstrated that pharmacy acquisition costs represent as little as 1% of the total hospital cost of surgical treatment. Costs of analgesia are driven largely by staff time. Inadequate treatment of post-operative pain can have important economic ramifications associated with increased patient morbidity, extended hospital stays, and readmissions. Inadequate treatment of post-operative pain is also associated with reduced patient satisfaction, a measure of increasing importance to health systems and pharmacists who practice within them.


CONCLUSIONS
Undertreatment of acute post-operative pain has important implications for health systems from the standpoints of economics and patient satisfaction.
Koo
Peter J
PJ
Pain Management, Department of Pharmaceutical Services and Clinical Pharmacy, University of California-San Francisco, School of Pharmacy, San Francisco, CA 94143-0622, USA. koop@pharmacy.ucsf.edu
D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled / Q000191:economics; D000700:Analgesics / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016527:Drug Costs; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D008508:Medication Errors; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000191:economics; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital; D013997:Time Factors
D000700:Analgesics