Cleveland Clinic's 5-step strategy to address rising drug prices

Cleveland Clinic pharmacists and physicians developed a strategy to limit the financial impact of rising drug prices for two common heart medications, saving the hospital an estimated $8.5 million over the span of two years, according to a case study published in NEJM Catalyst.

From 2012 to 2015, the price of nitroprusside jumped from $27.46 to $880.88, while isoproterenol skyrocketed from $26.20 to $1,790.11. 

"Such price increases can result in serious concerns about the affordability of critically needed medications for patients and also can have a substantial negative impact on hospital budgets," the authors wrote in the case study.

Clinicians from Cleveland Clinic's Heart and Vascular Institute partnered with the health system's pharmacy department to conduct a thorough review of the clinical use of these two heart drugs and identified five steps to mitigate their high costs.

Here are the five steps.

  1. Understand how the costly medications are used in the organization.

  1. Involve key stakeholders in the implementation and design of the drug price strategy by providing periodic data feedback.

  1. Define key areas in which continued use of the pharmaceutical is crucial for patients.

  1. Reduce waste in the delivery of pharmaceuticals.

  1. Identify cheaper therapeutic alternatives physicians can use to effectively treat patients.

To learn more about Cleveland Clinic's strategy, click here.

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