Economic Impact of Converting from Pen and 10-mL Vial to 3-mL Vial for Insulin Delivery in a Hospital Setting

PURPOSE: To compare the impact on acquisition cost and purchased volume of rapid- and short-acting insulins following conversion from 3-mL disposable pens and 10-mL vials to 3-mL vials for individual patient supply (IPS) in a hospital setting. METHODS: On February 1, 2010, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center of Dignity Health in Phoenix, Arizona, converted from pens to 3-mL vials for IPS subcutaneous (SC) injection and from 10-mL short-acting insulin vials to 3-mL vials for intravenous (IV) preparation. Pharmacy purchasing data were analyzed over 6-month periods before and after conversion (March 1 through August 31, 2009, and March 1 through August 31, 2010). RESULTS: Before conversion, acquisition costs were $27,866 for 5,335 mL of rapid-acting insulins and $53,336 for 26,310 mL of short-acting insulins. After conversion, insulin acquisition costs were $24,211 for 5,850 mL of rapid-acting insulins (13.1% decrease in costs, 9.7% rise in volume), with cost reduction attributable to the lower cost of 3-mL vials. Acquisition costs were $17,395 for 14,700 mL of short-acting insulins after conversion (67.4% decrease in costs, 44.1% reduction in volume), with cost reduction attributable to lower cost of 3-mL vials versus pens for IPS SC injections and 10-mL vials for IV preparation. The reduction in purchased volumes of short-acting insulins may be partly due to decreased insulin use in IV preparation. CONCLUSION: Conversion from pens and 10-mL vials to 3-mL vials for rapid-and short-acting insulins resulted in reduced acquisition costs and decreased use of short-acting insulin in IV preparations.