Computer program for comparing total costs of intravenous antibiotic regimens

A computer program for estimating and comparing the costs of intravenous antibiotic therapy is described, and a cost comparison of two antibiotic regimens using the program is demonstrated. Data unique to each antibiotic (e.g., dosage regimen, duration of therapy, need for pharmacokinetic monitoring, and acquisition cost per dose) are entered into the first part of the program (ABDATA) and combined with preprogrammed hospital-specific data, such as personnel and material costs, to produce an itemized list of the total cost of therapy. With the second part of the computer program (ABCOMP), antibiotic regimen costs that have been entered into ABDATA can be compared. Cost comparisons are made with the assumption that the antibiotic regimens have similar efficacy and toxicity. A sample cost comparison was performed using data from a recent study comparing the use of ceftazidime or tobramycin-ticarcillin therapy in the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia and bacteremia. The computer-generated cost comparison showed that although the unit cost of ceftazidime was more than the combined unit cost of tobramycin and ticarcillin, the total cost of a 10-day course of therapy with ceftazidime (which included personnel and material costs) was less than the cost of therapy with a combination of tobramycin and ticarcillin. A computer program that incorporates hospital-specific personnel and material costs with unit drug costs can be used to facilitate comparisons of the overall cost of intravenous antibiotic regimens.