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Automatic stop-order policy for PRN medications in skilled nursing facilities
Contemporary Pharmacy Practice
|January 6, 1982
Summary
Automatic stop-order policies for PRN medications in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) effectively reduce unused medications. This approach also generates significant cost savings through unit-of-use packaging, benefiting patients and payers.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Pharmacology
- Health Economics
Background:
- Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) often face challenges with medication management and associated costs.
- Unused or unnecessary medications contribute to financial burdens for patients and healthcare systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of automatic stop-order policies for PRN (as-needed) medications in SNFs.
- To assess the impact of these policies on medication reduction and cost savings.
Main Methods:
- A 4-month investigation involving 37 patients in a skilled nursing facility.
- Implementation of automatic stop-order policies for PRN medications.
- Analysis of medication usage and cost data, including unit-of-use packaging.
Main Results:
- A significant reduction in PRN medications per patient, from 4.1 to 2.1 (p < 0.01).
- Potential annual cost savings of approximately $1500 per patient in the SNF due to discontinued unit-of-use medications.
- Cost savings were specifically linked to unit-of-use packaging, not traditional prescription packaging.
Conclusions:
- Automatic stop-order policies are effective in controlling and eliminating unnecessary PRN medications in SNFs.
- Unit-of-use medication packaging, coupled with stop-order policies, offers substantial cost-saving opportunities.
- Reimbursement for vendor pharmacies implementing unit-of-use packaging should be considered by state and governmental agencies to improve cost-effectiveness in SNFs.
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