Purchasing premixed products.

When comparing the cost of a product that requires labor-intensive manufacturing processes (e.g., IV admixtures) with the cost of the same product in a ready-to-use form (e.g., premixed, small-volume, parenteral drugs), all costs and potential savings associated with both forms of the product must be taken into consideration. An additional consideration in determining whether finished products should be purchased requires an analysis of the savings achieved in the pharmacy department in relation to the hospital's cost-reduction strategy. Little purpose would be served if the pharmacy pursued options that benefited only the pharmacy but not the hospital in general. It is time that all hospital departments challenge their staffs to maximize their efforts not only to control costs, but to reduce them as well. The greatest yield in the hospital pharmacy is derived through efforts directed at reducing supply expenditures. One reduction method worthy of analysis is use of premixed, small-volume, parenteral drugs. If it can be shown that the overall cost reduction will result from a decrease in waste, clinical pharmacy intervention through the pharmacy and therapeutics committees, targeted drug programs, quality assurance activities, and reduced operating expenses associated with premixed products, their acquisition price can be justified.