Fee-For-Service and Cost Justification Activities of Pharmacist-Manned Drug Information Centers in the United States

Abstract

In the current era of economic constraints, it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain sufficient funds for drug information services. Many drug information centers (DICs) are becoming less financially secure and so alternative funding sources are becoming essential for maintaining quality services. Additionally, it is becoming more important for centers to provide cost justification data to support their existence. There is a paucity of published data concerning cost effectiveness and fund-gener ating activities of DICs. The purpose of this article is to present an overview of and recommendations for fee-for-service and cost-justification activities of DICs in the United States. DICs offer valuable services that can be enhanced through additional revenue gained from fee-for-services activities. To sell drug information services, centers must provide cost-justification data to current and prospective subscribers. In the cost containment world of the 1990s, DICs must be able to prove that they save money by lowering medical costs. Results indicate the need for cost-justification studies and demonstrate the hazards of less than rigorous study. Cost-effectiveness evidence is likely to emerge as the driving force behind DIC funding in the future.