Pharmaceutical Cost Savings in the Intensive Care Unit

Health care costs are rising in the United States with a significant amount of this spend attributed to pharmaceutical costs. The reasons for rising pharmaceutical costs are multifactorial and may include the increase in single source manufacturers of generic medications, drug shortages, the Food and Drug Administration's unapproved drug approval initiative, and generic rebranding. Many of these factors impact the intensive care unit directly creating the need to implement cost-savings strategies to ensure the financial health of an organization and reduce the financial burden for patients. To mitigate rising costs, we have outlined a number of both operational and clinical cost-savings measures derived from the literature and from institutional experience. Engaging the multidisciplinary team in the development and implementation of these initiatives will ensure their success and will maximize their impact.