Hospital intravenous drug administration in the era of prospective payment

Cost effectiveness in all aspects of hospital care is necessary for survival in the 1980s. Under the new prospective payment system, the emphasis will switch from selling at a profit to increasing profits by spending less. Pharmacists need to reexamine available alternatives and new horizons in each area of distributive services, especially in the way we dispense and administer intermittent intravenous drugs. Manufacturer's piggyback containers are readily available for about 60 percent of required doses, and significant cost savings could result in a relatively short period of time. Newer systems that use syringes should also be explored and an in-hospital evaluation program set up to decide which is the most cost-effective, acceptable system.