Original Research
Monday, October 14, 2024
01:00 PM–02:30 PM
Abstract
Introduction:
As healthcare moves towards whole-person care, community pharmacies are integrating sustainable social determinants of health (SDoH) screening and referral programs, addressing both clinical and health-related social needs.
Research Question or Hypothesis:
To develop a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) within an ongoing SDoH screening and referral program in a clinically integrated community pharmacy network.
Study Design:
A cost-benefit model using the Proctor framework for implementation strategy with a time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) analysis from a public health perspective.
Methods:
The 12-month SDoH program included 17 clinically integrated community pharmacies across New York State in 2023. The TDABC data elements included time spent per intervention step, consisting of patient engagement, screening, and referrals, and were collected from two pharmacies over a 4-month period. Major costing categories were pre-implementation and ongoing activities, training (personnel & fixed), intervention, and operational costs. Personnel costs were determined using Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data and non-personnel costs were itemized by program leads. Annual cost savings per resolved referral were aligned using published literature and adjusted to 2023 US dollars. Study outcomes included net benefits, benefits to cost ratio (BCR), and return on investment (ROI).
Results:
A total of 1,122 screenings were completed over the study period, resulting in 523 referrals, and 134 resolutions to date. The average intervention time was 36.67 minutes. Total program cost was $102,685.30 consisting of pre-implementation ($16,789.87), ongoing activities ($31,644.60), training ($29,429.32), intervention ($16,369.86), and operational ($8,451.65) costs. Based on literature, the average annual savings for one social needs resolution was estimated at $2,127.90 per person, providing an estimated SDoH program benefit of $285,138.60 and net benefit of $182,453.30. Overall, the BCR was 2.78 and the ROI was 178%.
Conclusion:
SDoH screening and referral programs within community pharmacies demonstrate positive economic impact.
Presenting Author
Christopher J. Daly PharmD, MBA, BCACPUniversity at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Authors
En-Ling (Ann) Chen PharmD Candidate
University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Durdana Iqbal PharmD
University at Buffalo
David M. Jacobs PharmD, PhD
University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Abigail Tarun PharmD Candidate
University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences