Inpatient Antineoplastic Medication Administration And Associated Drug Costs: Institution of a Hospital Policy Limiting Inpatient Administration.

BACKGROUND

Cancer treatment costs are increasing; the global cost of antineoplastic medications rose to $83.7 billion in 2015. As a result, it is imperative for institutions to implement cost-saving strategies and to maximize reimbursement for costly medications such as antineoplastic drugs.

OBJECTIVES

Evaluate the necessity and drug costs of administering antineoplastic medications in the inpatient setting and explore savings associated with the 2013 implementation of an institutional policy that defined criteria necessitating inpatient administration of antineoplastic medication.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients receiving inpatient antineoplastic medications during January, April, July, and October of 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2015 at a community teaching hospital. Necessity of chemotherapy administration during the hospital admission was determined based on adherence to institutional policy.

RESULTS

Records of 648 patients admitted for chemotherapy were reviewed. The annualized numbers of chemotherapy regimens received during inpatient admission in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2015 were 537, 618, 369, and 420, respectively. Of all regimens administered in the inpatient setting, 80% in 2010, 78% in 2012, 83% in 2014, and 91% in 2015 met institutional policy criteria for inpatient administration ( = 0.005). The annualized average wholesale price of antineoplastic medications administered to patients that did not meet criteria for inpatient drug administration decreased from $269,049 in 2010 to $105,447 in 2015. A trend in the chemotherapy regimens administered was apparent; only one regimen (carboplatin/paclitaxel), which is relatively inexpensive, was administered to more than 5% of patients in 2015, and all patients receiving monoclonal antibodies in 2015 met criteria for inpatient administration.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of a policy defining the appropriate criteria necessitating inpatient administration of antineoplastic medications has the potential to decrease the number of inpatient administrations and associated drug costs.