Developing drug-use profiles from drug-charge records

The potential for developing a drug-use profile from drug-charge records was studied at an 830-bed community hospital. Patient drug charges were reviewed retrospectively for one year (1975) to identify: (1) which key drugs accounted for a high percentage of cost and usage; (2) where key drugs were used within the hospital; (3) how they were used; and (4) who were the chief prescribers. Of the drugs used, 8% accounted for 80% of total drug product costs. Seven drug groups (10% of the total drug groups) appeared in the top 10 of both drug cost and quantity categories. Six individual drugs also appeared in the top 10 of both categories. According to cost, cephalosporin antibiotics were ranked first among drug groups but were sixth according to quantity. Analgesics-antipyretics were ranked first among drug groups by quantity and second by cost. Cephalothin was ranked first among individual drugs by cost and was not in the top 10 in quantity. Diazepam was ranked first among individual drugs by quantity and third by cost. Patients' drug-charge records can be used effectively to generate drug-use profiles for ongoing drug use review, quality assurance and cost containment programs.