Cost Savings in Oncology Chemotherapy: The Role of Vial Sharing in Centralized Preparation.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to find out how much money can be saved by introducing a vial sharing program in a Jordanian tertiary hospital's centralized intravenous admixture service.

METHODS

From March 2023 to September 2025, 1662 prescriptions for 24 intravenous anticancer medications were part of this quasi-experimental study. Efficiency of a centralized vial share program and a conventional dispersed preparation technique were compared. Time efficiency, drug waste minimization, and total cost saving (JD) were some of the outcomes that were measured.

RESULTS

A total of 309 patients were enrolled in the study and followed for 28 months and had 1662 prescription orders for 24 chemotherapy drugs. Median age was 58 years, and most patients were females (54.7%). The most common diagnoses were lymphoma (10.0%), breast cancer (9.1%), and acute myeloid leukemia (6.8%). Most patients (99%) had insurance. Doxorubicin (291 prescriptions, 17.5%), vincristine (234 prescriptions, 14.1%), and rituximab (210 prescriptions, 12.6%) were the highest prescribed medications. Implementation of a vial-sharing system resulted in cost savings of 39.6%, amounting to JD 254 743.28 (USD 359 188.02). Nivolumab caused most cost savings per prescription, followed by trastuzumab, whereas vincristine and fluorouracil saved very minimal amounts per prescription. Based on total savings, Rituximab led the list with JD 83 211.31 (USD 117 327.94).

CONCLUSIONS

Vial sharing as part of a centralized preparation model has significantly decreased the cost and drug wastage in oncology care. It provides a viable method to increase resource efficiency in cancer care, especially within institutions that have limited healthcare budgets.