Change to antibiotic prescribing saves the Trust £127k

CUH has led the way in introducing a new antibiotic dosing schedule which has saved £127k and has been followed by other Trusts in the country.

 

The antibiotic pharmacist attended a lecture about alternative antibiotic dosing schedules. Several studies in the US have demonstrated that reducing the dose and increasing the frequency of certain antibiotics can have the same effect.

 

After careful deliberation and a review of the literature, a guideline was drafted by microbiology and the antibiotic pharmacist, and the change in dosing schedule implemented Trust-wide in April 2010 with full pharmacy and microbiology support.

 

Now meropenem 500mg IV four times a day is recommended for treatment of severe, life-threatening infections, as an alternative to the BNF dose of 1g IV three times a day (with a view to stepping down to the usual dose of 500mg IV three times a day). This resulted in patients receiving 1g less per day compared to the traditional dose, with significant savings made.

 

This was a co-ordinated effort by microbiology and pharmacy, demonstrating that by working together and supporting each other, savings can be made.

 

We were the first hospital in the UK to make this change and were quickly followed by several other Trusts.

 

Overall, a saving of £127K was made from 2009/2010 to 2010/2011 as a direct result of this change in prescribing. The price of this antibiotic has subsequently fallen, highlighting the importance of implementing initiatives in a timely manner to realise any potential savings.

 

Antibiotics play an essential role in management of infection and cost saving measures in this area have been traditionally linked to procurement of the best price for existing antibiotics, or switching to a less expensive antibiotic within the same class.

 

Chief executive Dr Gareth Goodier says: "Innovative ways of saving money in antibiotic use are very limited. This success story shows that attending lectures and learning from research can open up possibilities for us in unexpected areas. We should all be learning from others and trying to adopt new ways of working wherever possible while still putting the patient first."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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