Abstract

In this issue of the Southern Medical Journal, Lane and colleagues present an anonymous survey study that had a simple set of objectives.¹ The first was to determine whether women’s health providers knew the costs of the medications that are commonly used in the hospital setting, whether individual medications routinely ordered were actually necessary, and whether a less expensive alternative could be found. In their investigation, 71% of providers completed the questionnaire, which is a much higher response rate than most published survey studies. When targeting two obstetrical medications (hydrocortisone acetate/pramoxine hydrochloride and dinoprostone vaginal inserts), these researchers were able to demonstrate that when these medications were taken off standing orders or when a less expensive oral alternative was given, the overall cost savings was almost $160,000.