title: Researchers find huge savings opportunity in oral form of IV drugs.
abstract: Researchers find that hospitals could save millions of dollars by switching commonly prescribed intravenous (IV) medications to their oral equivalents in patients who are able to take medications orally. These findings come from an analysis of 2010 computer records from one department at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, but researchers suggest such savings are possible hospital-wide and could be utilized with many additional IV drugs. Most IV drugs are much more expensive than their oral equivalent forms. Researchers conclude that the hospital could have saved more than $1 million by switching some patients over to the oral equivalent forms of four commonly prescribed IV drugs, and these savings are just for one department in one year. Additional savings related to reduced IV-related infections and the costs of administering and maintaining IVs are also likely, say researchers. Education and clinical decision support tools are needed to make providers aware of opportunities to utilize the oral forms of IV medications.
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D017046:Cost Savings; D017721:Hospital Costs; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012108:Research Personnel
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations