Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 8, 2026

Multiplex Therapeutic Drug Monitoring by Isotope-dilution HPLC-MS/MS of Antibiotics in Critical Illnesses
Published on: August 30, 2018
Microcost analysis of the prescription dispensing process in an outpatient hospital pharmacy
H T Hatoum1, R A Hutchinson, L R Elliott
1College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois, Chicago 60612.
Abstract:
The costs involved in dispensing a prescription in an outpatient pharmacy at a 450-bed teaching hospital were studied. Work sampling was used to determine pharmacist and technician time involved in dispensing a prescription, and other direct and indirect costs involved in dispensing a prescription were isolated. The cost per prescription was calculated as the total of personnel costs for dispensing plus other costs, excluding the cost of the drug. Average of 2.68 and 3.37 minutes of pharmacist and technician time, respectively, were directly involved in dispensing each prescription. The standard auxiliary times per prescription were calculated to be 1.17 minutes and 4.66 minutes for the two groups, respectively. Total pharmacy personnel time consumed in dispensing a prescription was 13.33 minutes. Total calculated personnel cost included in dispensing a prescription was +3.14. Adding to this figure other direct and indirect costs resulted in a total cost of +5.42 for dispensing a prescription. Although the time and cost figures identified are unique to this outpatient pharmacy, other institutions can use these microcosting techniques to provide data that can be useful in the negotiation of contracts for the provision of pharmaceutical services to ambulatory patients.
More Related Videos
06:16Signal Acquisition, Score Interpretation, and Economics of a Non-Invasive Point-of-Care Test for Coronary Artery Disease
Published on: August 9, 2024
06:27Automated Hospital Room Disinfection Utilizing a Novel Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide Microdroplet Disbursing Technology
Published on: February 24, 2026
Related Concept Videos
Analysis of Population Pharmacokinetic Data
Model Approaches for Pharmacokinetic Data: Compartment Models
Two primary types of compartment models are recognized: mammillary and catenary. The more...
Model-Independent Approaches for Pharmacokinetic Data: Noncompartmental Analysis
One important characteristic of noncompartmental analyses is that drug exposure increases proportionally with increasing doses. This relationship...
Noncompartmental Analysis: Mean Residence Time
After the administration of a drug through intravenous bolus injection, the drug molecules are distributed throughout the body and remain there for varying periods. The MRT represents the average time these drug molecules stay in the...
Noncompartmental Analysis: Miscellaneous Pharmacokinetic Parameters
One key aspect of the noncompartmental approach is determining a drug's total clearance. This can be done by dividing the drug dose by the area under the concentration-time curve from zero to infinity. The area under the concentration-time curve represents the drug's overall...
Dosage Regimens: Partial Pharmacokinetic Parameters