Abstract Background Pharmacists in intensive care units (ICUs) play a critical role in optimizing medication therapy and reducing adverse drug events (ADEs). While their clinical contributions are well recognized, data on their economic impact remain limited, particularly in Australian healthcare settings. Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the economic impact of pharmacist-led clinical interventions in a cardiac ICU by assessing physician acceptance rates, cost savings, cost avoidance, and overall financial benefits. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted in a 16-bed cardiac ICU over 10 months (March 2023-December 2023. Pharmacist clinical interventions were extracted from the electronic medication chart and analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Cost savings were calculated by comparing the wholesale cost of initially prescribed medication versus intervened medication. Cost avoidance was estimated using the Nesbitt formula, assuming each prevented (ADE) would extend ICU stay by two days. The benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) was determined by comparing total economic benefits to the annual salary of a clinical pharmacist. The hospital’s Human Research and Ethics Committee granted an exemption for this study. Results A total of 3, 316 pharmacist clinical interventions were recorded, with a 94% physician acceptance rate. The economic analysis demonstrated annual cost savings of AU26, 273 and cost avoidance of AU13, 507, 740 due to prevented ADEs. The projected total economic benefit over one year was AU13, 534, 013 yielding a BCR of 50: 1 indicating that every AU1 invested in pharmacist salaries resulted in AU50 in savings. These findings surpass previous international studies evaluating ICU pharmacist interventions, reinforcing their economical and clinical impact. Conclusion Pharmacist-led clinical interventions in the cardiac ICU significantly contribute to cost containment and improved patient safety. The high physician acceptance rate, substantial cost avoidance, and favourable BCR highlight the clinical and economic value of integrating pharmacist in ICU care. Future research should explore the scalability of these interventions across broader ICU settings.
Lim et al. (Sat,) studied this question.