The nine-year sustained cost-containment impact of swiss pilot physicians-pharmacists quality circles.
Details
Serval ID
serval:BIB_DD22C0DC5841
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
The nine-year sustained cost-containment impact of swiss pilot physicians-pharmacists quality circles.
Journal
Annals of Pharmacotherapy
ISSN
1542-6270[electronic], 1060-0280[linking]
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2010
Volume
44
Number
4
Pages
650-657
Language
english
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Six pioneer physicians-pharmacists quality circles (PPQCs) located in the Swiss canton of Fribourg (administratively corresponding to a state in the US) were under the responsibility of 6 trained community pharmacists moderating the prescribing process of 24 general practitioners (GPs). PPQCs are based on a multifaceted collaborative process mediated by community pharmacists for improving compliance with clinical guidelines within GPs' prescribing practices. OBJECTIVE: To assess, over a 9-year period (1999-2007), the cost-containment impact of the PPQCs. METHODS: The key elements of PPQCs are a structured continuous quality improvement and education process; local networking; feedback of comparative and detailed data regarding costs, drug choice, and frequency of prescribed drugs; and structured independent literature review for interdisciplinary continuing education. The data are issued from the community pharmacy invoices to the health insurance companies. The study analyzed the cost-containment impact of the PPQCs in comparison with GPs working in similar conditions of care without particular collaboration with pharmacists, the percentage of generic prescriptions for specific cardiovascular drug classes, and the percentage of drug costs or units prescribed for specific cardiovascular drugs. RESULTS: For the 9-year period, there was a 42% decrease in the drug costs in the PPQC group as compared to the control group, representing a $225,000 (USD) savings per GP only in 2007. These results are explained by better compliance with clinical and pharmacovigilance guidelines, larger distribution of generic drugs, a more balanced attitude toward marketing strategies, and interdisciplinary continuing education on the rational use of drugs. CONCLUSIONS: The PPQC work process has yielded sustainable results, such as significant cost savings, higher penetration of generics and reflection on patient safety, and the place of "new" drugs in therapy. The PPQCs may also constitute a solid basis for implementing more comprehensive collaborative programs, such as medication reviews, adherence-enhancing interventions, or disease management approaches.
Keywords
Community Pharmacy Services, Cost Containment, Drug Prescription, Implementation, Patient Care Team, Quality of Health Care, Switzerland, Conflicts-of-Interest, Primary-Care, General-Practitioners, Pharmaceutical Care, Prescription Data, Industry, Interventions, Guidelines, Feedback, Adoption
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
06/05/2010 15:07
Last modification date
20/08/2019 16:01