American journal of hospital pharmacy
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Documentation of cost savings from decentralized clinical pharmacy services at a community hospital.
A pilot program designed to justify the costs of clinical pharmacy services through the use of workload documentation cards is described. At this community hospital, defining a philosophy of care was the first step in developing and implementing decentralized services. A patient-specific care model was chosen, and principles of patient-oriented service were outlined. ⋯ The break-even point at which pharmacist salary expenses would equal direct cost savings was determined to be one clinical pharmacist per 80 patient beds. A request to expand clinical services at the hospital was granted. By documenting clinical and distributive activities on a simple form and quantifying the savings associated with clinical interventions, this pilot program demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of clinical pharmacy services.