Cost analysis of a clinical pharmacist–led multidisciplinary iron deficiency treatment clinic for patients with heart failure or pulmonary hypertension

PURPOSE: To conduct a data-driven cost analysis comparing a clinical pharmacist-led iron deficiency treatment clinic to usual care for patients with heart failure (HF) or pulmonary hypertension (PH). METHODS: Direct medical costs for providing services and associated reimbursements over a 19-month period were estimated from the hospital perspective for a group of patients who received iron deficiency treatment in a pharmacist-led clinic and a group that received usual care. The frequency of various services within each group were derived from clinical data of a published cohort study. Unit costs for services were obtained from the literature. The net cost per patient was calculated and compared between groups, with one-way sensitivity analysis conducted on hospitalization and clinical pharmacist personnel costs. All costs were inflated to 2024 US dollar value. RESULTS: A total of 81 patients received clinical pharmacist-led services, and the cost for the services provided was $3,089 per patient, while 42 received usual care, with a cost of $5,547 per patient. The reimbursement per patient was $1,852 in the clinical pharmacist group and $1,798 in the usual care group. The net cost per patient was lower in the clinical pharmacist group by $2,512 than in the usual care group. One-way sensitivity analyses indicated that varying hospitalization costs significantly impacted the net cost in both groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that a clinical pharmacist-led service incurred lower net cost per patient than usual care, leading to cost savings for the hospital. Economic analyses can complement clinical studies in demonstrating the sustainability of clinical services.