title: Potential cost avoidance of pharmacy students' patient care activities during advanced pharmacy practice experiences.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the potential cost avoidance of student interventions documented by fourth-year (P4) student pharmacists during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) in outpatient and inpatient settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  The school-wide Web-based intervention database was retrospectively analyzed to review characteristics of interventions documented during the 2011-2012 APPE cycle. Potential cost avoidance for interventions was derived from a comprehensive literature review and adjusted to 2011 dollars based on the consumer price index for medical care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-seven students (71% of the graduating class) documented 5,775 interventions over 36 weeks, with an estimated potential total cost avoidance of $908,800. The intervention categories associated with the greatest cost avoidance were prevention of adverse drug events, provider education, and patient education.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fourth-year student pharmacists and their preceptors had a positive impact, contributing to potential cost avoidance in both the inpatient and outpatient pharmacy settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Adam B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Woolley
authors.forename: Charles A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Berds
authors.forename: Roger A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Copeland
authors.forename: Margarita V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: DiVall
mesh_terms: D017046:Cost Savings; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005791:Patient Care / Q000191:economics*; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services / Q000191:economics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013339:Students, Pharmacy
keywords: advanced pharmacy practice experience; cost avoidance; medication; pharmacy interventions; student pharmacists