• Family practice · Apr 2009

    Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study

    Does a system of instalment dispensing for newly prescribed medicines save NHS costs? Results from a feasibility study.

    • John Millar, Paul McNamee, David Heaney, Sivasubramaniam Selvaraj, Christine Bond, Sandra Lindsay, and Mary Morton.
    • Dingwall Medical Group-Health Centre, Ferry Road, Dingwall, Ross-Shire, UK. jsmdingwall@hotmail.com
    • Fam Pract. 2009 Apr 1; 26 (2): 163-8.

    BackgroundIn view of the increasing cost of general practice of drug prescribing, it is important to look at ways of reducing drug wastage and thereby improve the cost-effectiveness of prescribing.ObjectiveTo determine the costs and cost savings to the NHS of instalment dispensing for newly prescribed medicines and to quantify the extra costs incurred by patients.MethodsPatients were randomized to receive either a normal (n = 103) or an instalment (n = 101) prescription.ResultsThe difference between prescribed and dispensed drug costs in the intervention group was 0.98 UK pounds per patient (95% confidence interval 0.14-1.82 UK pounds), giving a 7% reduction in drug costs. The costs of the additional pharmacy time required to implement the intervention was calculated to be 5.02 UK pounds per patient.ConclusionsIntroduction of a system of instalment dispensing produced savings in the general practice of drugs bill, but these were not large enough to offset additional costs for pharmacists.

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