Financial impact of a home intravenous antibiotic program on a medicare managed care program.

This study quantitates cost savings achieved by a home intravenous antibiotic (HIVA) program in a Medicare managed health care program. In 1998, 66 treatment courses of HIVA therapy were administered for a total of 1542 patient-days of therapy. The calculated cost of HIVA therapy included the actual costs of drugs, supplies, nursing and therapists' salaries, and laboratory studies.

Ventricular assist device programs: design and function.

Ventricular assist device programs can be structured in a variety of models and can make use of personnel derived from a broad spectrum of clinical and hospital-based practice. When aggressively and proactively negotiated with payers, these programs can be cost-effective and thoroughly self-sustaining.

Cost savings associated with the nonroutine use of carotid angiography.

Background: To evaluate the economic impact of performing carotid endarterectomy based only on a diagnosis of duplex scanning, we evaluated a cohort of patients treated at our institution during 1 calendar year.

Methods: Ninety-seven patients were evaluated and divided into two groups: those with and without arteriogram prior to their operation. Duplex scan and arteriogram results were reviewed to determine their effect on the operative plan.

What should a pharmacy manager do when a serious medication error occurs? A panel discussion.

Questions related to medication errors were discussed by a panel of hospital department managers. When a serious medication error occurs, the manager has a responsibility to help the employee, the patient, and the patient's family cope with its effects, as well as a responsibility to prevent such errors from recurring. The difficulty of dealing with medication errors may be compounded when the legal system and the news media get involved.