Effect of a targeted antibiotic advisory consult program on hospital antibiotic costs

The purpose of this 3-year study was to determine whether or not an antibiotic control program, designed by the P & T Committee, would affect the cost of antibiotics to this 473-bed general medical-surgical teaching hospital. Physician consultants from different clinical departments discussed each use of targeted antibiotics with prescribing physicians. Compared with the preprogram year, cost savings of $46,869 during the first program year, and $73,212 during the second program year were achieved. Many factors were taken into account before arriving at these figures, including cost analysis of both targeted and nontargeted antibiotics, impact of price changes, administration costs, and changes in hospital census. The authors conclude that in the absence of cost inflation, antibiotic costs would have risen considerably due to price escalation, but in the face of antibiotic controls, a modest cost savings over the 2 years analyzed was actually realized.