Quantifying the cost of single-use minims and multidose bottles for eye drops in routine ophthalmic practice: A multicentre study
Document Type
Article
Department
Ophthalmology
Abstract
Objective: To compare costs between two different eye drop delivery modalities: multidose bottles and single-use minims.
Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Methods: Monthly dilating eye drop costs and quantities (tropicamide 1%, phenylephrine 2.5%, cyclopentolate 1%) were studied over a 2-year period between April 2013 and March 2015 at 2 tertiary ophthalmic centres (Royal Alexandra Hospital [RAH, Edmonton] and Rockyview General Hospital [RGH, Calgary]). In April 2014, RAH switched its dilating eye drop practice from predominantly multidose bottles to single-use minims, whereas RGH continued using predominantly multidose bottles. Eye drop volume and total and per-patient eye drop costs were quantified at RAH before switching (pre-intervention) and after (post-intervention) using an interrupted time-series analysis with RGH as a control. A counterfactual analysis was also performed. Significance was obtained using independent t-testing.
Results: After switching to single-use minims, RAH experienced changes in the following: an increase in single-use minims as a proportion of total eye drop utilization (from 5.6% to 89.1%; p = 0.001), an increase in total eye drop cost by $2117 per month (95% confidence interval [CI], $1354-$2880; p < 0.001), an increase in per-patient costs by $984 per 1000 patients per month (95% CI, $674-$1293). Contrastingly, RGH did not experience similar changes. Ultimately, the cost of switching to single-use minims was $22 481 (95% CI, $7830-$31 336) over a 12-month period.
Conclusions: If safe eye drop practices are enforced via proper protocols, the use of multidose bottles may be a more cost-effective option than single-use minims for routine clinical practice.
Publication (Name of Journal)
Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology
Recommended Citation
Rahemtulla, K. A.,
Cheema, M. K.,
Nickonchuk, T.,
Guirguis, M.,
Al Hamarneh, Y. N.,
Damji, K. F.
(2022). Quantifying the cost of single-use minims and multidose bottles for eye drops in routine ophthalmic practice: A multicentre study. Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology, 57(5), 312-318.
Available at:
https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_ophthalmol/15
Comments
This work was published before the author joined Aga Khan University.