Task and cost analysis of integrated clinical pharmacy services in private family practice centers

Costs and activities required for the provision of integrated clinical pharmacy services were examined in private family medicine centers in rural South Carolina. Work sampling and financial data for a one-year period were merged, yielding an average clinical service cost of $1.65 per center patient visit. Pharmacists in family medicine environments spent almost twice the amount of time in clinical activities as has been shown in studies of their colleagues in chain store environments, and one half as much time in prescription-dispensing activities. A greater proportion of the former's workday was also spent in communication with patients. Costs for prescriptions dispensed in these rural centers combined with the average national net profit per prescription yielded a total cost that was within a few cents of the national average. Hence, costs can be controlled to the extent that maintenance of a competitive prescription-pricing policy is possible. Integration of clinical pharmacy services in family practice centers appears to be an economically viable practice model.