Reduced drug costs from switching hemodialysis patients from epoetin alfa in multidose vials to pre-filled syringes.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate epoetin alfa drug costs in hemodialysis (HD) patients after a province-wide switch from multidose vials (MDV) to prefilled syringes (PFS). METHODS: A retrospective study of epoetin alfa drug costs and estimated doses based on these costs during a six-month period of MDV usage (2007) were compared to a PFS usage period (2008). Data were collected from quarterly counts of HD patients receiving epoetin alfa in the Manitoba Renal Program (MRP) and monthly inventory billing records. RESULTS: 756 patients who received epoetin alfa MDV were compared to 799 patients who received epoetin alfa PFS. Average weekly dose calculated from drug costs was 13,282 units (MDV) versus 11,689 units (PFS). Average weekly costs were $195.71 (MDV) versus $183.23 (PFS). This translated to an estimated $12.48 per patient per week in savings ($518,519 annual savings across the Manitoba Renal Program). CONCLUSION: The switch from epoetin alfa MDV to epoetin alfa PFS realized cost savings, likely as a result of reduced drug wastage.