Emergency medicine pharmacist interventions reducing exposure to costs (EMPIRE-C)

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Emergency Medicine
• Health Economics

Background:

• Emergency Medicine (EM) pharmacists are vital in Emergency Departments (EDs).
• Data on interventions by ED pharmacists, particularly in community health systems, is limited.
• This study addresses the gap in understanding the scope and impact of EM pharmacist activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the types and volume of interventions performed by EM pharmacists in community EDs.
• To assess the economic impact, specifically cost avoidance, generated by these interventions.
• To underscore the value of EM pharmacists in community healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, multi-centered, observational study of EM pharmacist interventions.
• Data collected from electronic medical records (EMR) across five EDs from July 2020 to June 2021.
• Interventions categorized into ED Intervention, ED Outpatient Culture Review, and ED Discharge Antimicrobial Review; cost avoidance analysis performed.

Main Results:

• A total of 23,794 interventions were documented.
• 9,181 interventions were identified as cost avoidance measures.
• These interventions resulted in a total cost avoidance of $5,350,755.63, averaging $582.81 per intervention.

Conclusions:

• EM pharmacists in community settings demonstrate a substantial impact through a high volume and diverse range of interventions.
• The documented interventions lead to significant cost avoidance for the healthcare system.
• Findings support the essential role and economic value of EM pharmacists in community EDs.