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. 2022 Apr 9;9(5):ofac137. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofac137

Table 2.

Vancomycin and Daptomycin Cost Comparison for a 75-kg Adult With Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia

Drug/Intervention Item Cost Item Frequency Duration of Therapy
14 Days 28 Days 42 Days
VAN 1 g $1.94a 2 g load, then 1 g twice daily $56.26 $110.58 $164.90
VAN serum level monitoring,
trough only [43]
$141b Three times every 2 wk (conservative) $423 $846 $1692
VAN serum level monitoring,
2-level AUC [43]
$141b Three times every 2 wk (conservative) $846 $1692 $3384
Pharmacist coordinating, interpreting, and documenting TDM, trough only $60/h 15 min, $15 × 3 $45 $90 $135
Pharmacist coordinating, interpreting, and documenting TDM,
2-level AUCc
$60/h 20 mind, $20 × 3 $60 $120 $180
Total coste of vancomycin (range based on PK monitoring strategy) $524–$962 $1045–$1923 $1992–$3729
Daptomycin 500 mg $25.31a 600 mg (~8 mg/kg) once dailyf $425.20 $850.42 $1275.62
Total coste of daptomycin $425 $850 $1276

Estimates for drug costs are based on actual wholesale price due to variability in patient/third-party payer costs.

Abbreviations: AUC, area under the curve; PK, pharmacokinetic; TDM, therapeutic drug monitoring; VAN, vancomycin.

Average average wholesale price from 2 institutions.

Average laboratory cost from 2 institutions.

AUC can be estimated using a single level with Bayesian software. The cost of purchasing and deploying such software is variable and beyond the scope of this cost analysis.

Twenty minutes instead of 15 minutes used because of time needed to coordinate the second level.

Rounded to the nearest dollar.

Based on 75 kg patient weight.