Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2024 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Asthma. 2022 Mar 10;60(2):323–330. doi: 10.1080/02770903.2022.2047718

Table 3B:

Cost Saving Calculation: Nebulizer + Metered-dose inhalers (MDI)

unit calculation UChicago Medicine Internal Model External Model Reference
Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3 Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3
Nebulizer (Neb) + Metered-dose inhalers (MDI)
Neb
   Medication
   Number of patients # a’ 0 276 442 0 276 442 --
   Number of administrations per patient # b’ 5 5 5 5 5 5 Assume that number of neb administration per patient is 5 when transitioning to MDI after neb.
   Cost (Neb) $ c’ 0.16 0.16 0.16 0.16 0.16 0.16 The actual cost of neb per administration at UChicago Medicine.
   Sub total $ d’=a’*b’*c’ 0 221 353 0 221 353 --
   Labor (Respiratory Therapist; RT)
   Number of patients # e’ 0 276 442 0 276 442 --
   Number of administrations per patient # f’ 5 5 5 5 5 5 Assume that number of neb administration per patient is 5 when transitioning to MDI after neb.
   RT time per administration hour g’ 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 Assume that Respiratory Therapist need 0.25 hour per administration.
   Hourly labor cost $ h’ 29 29 29 29 29 29 US Bureau of Labor Statistics (data as of September 4, 2019)
   Sub total $ i’=e’*f’*g’*h’ 0 9,998 15,997 0 9,998 15,997 --
Neb total cost $ j’=d’+i’ 0 10,219 16,350 0 10,219 16,350 --
MDI
   Medication --
   Number of patients # k 0 276 442 0 276 442 --
   Number of administrations per patient # l 1 1 1 1 1 1 Assume that number of MDI medication to patient is one.
   Cost (Albuterol MDI) $ m 21 21 21 21 21 21 The actual cost of Albuterol MDI per patient at UChicago Medicine.
   Cost (Spacer) $ n 0 0 0 4.7 4.7 4.7 UChicago Medicine doesn’t use spacer for MDI.
   Sub total $ o=k*l*(m+n) 0 5,785 9,256 0 7,085 11,336 --
   Labor
   Pharmacist teaching students At UChicago Medicine students at Pharmacy school are engaged in training patients to use MDI.
   Teaching time hour p 0 35 35 0 0 0 Pharmacist spent 35 hours to teach students about how to train patients.
   Hourly teaching labor cost $ q 0 65 65 0 0 0 Assume that pharmacist hourly salary is $65 at UChicago Medicine.
   Sub total $ r=p*q 0 2,275 2,275 0 0 0
   Pharmacist Assume that pharmacists don’t directly train patients about how to use MDI in the external model.
   Number of patients # s 0 0 0 0 276 442
   Number of administrations per patient # t 0 0 0 1 1 1 Assume that number of training per patient is one.
   Pharmacist time per administration hour u 0 0 0 0.25 0.25 0.25 Assume that pharmacist spends 0.25 hours per training.
   Hourly pharmacist labor cost $ v 0 0 0 61 61 61 US Bureau of Labor Statistics (data as of September 4, 2019)
   Sub total $ w=s*t*u*v 0 0 0 0 4,184 6,695 --
   Sub total $ x=r+w 0 2,275 2,275 0 4,184 6,695 --
MDI total cost $ y=o+x 0 8,060 11,531 0 11,269 18,031 --
Neb + MDI total cost $ z=j’+y 0 18,279 27,881 0 21,488 34,381 --
Total cost $ j+z 60,830 48,694 40,047 60,830 51,903 46,547 --
Reference
Total medication cost $ d+d’+o 1,314 6,663 9,872 1,314 7,963 11,952 --
Total labor cost $ i+i’+x 59,515 42,031 30,175 59,515 43,940 34,595 --
% of total medication cost % (d+d’+o)/(j+z) 2.2% 13.7% 24.7% 2.2% 15.3% 25.7% --
% of total labor cost % (i+i’+x)/(j+z) 97.8% 86.3% 75.3% 97.8% 84.7% 74.3% --