Table 1

Unit costs applied to NHS resource use in the PIPPC study

Resource use itemValue (£)UnitSource/comments
Intervention costs
 Pharmacist trainingPrescribing: £10.85
Review: £10.67
Per patientPSSRU 2009/201013 2 days (ie16 h) @ £40/h (includes travel)=£40×16=£640, this cost being apportioned over the number of patients in each intervention group
 Intervention deliveryPrescribing: £66.7
Review: £44
Per patientPSSRU 2009/201013 £40/h (includes travel)
Prescribing: mean duration 100 min; Review: mean duration 66 min
 Pharmacist follow-up appointmentsPrescribing: £6.18
Review: £0
Per patientPSSRU 2009/201013 £40/h
Prescribing: 45/53 (84.9%) patients received follow-up appointments: 0 (15.1%); 1 (62.3%) mean duration 11 min; 2 (15.1%) mean duration 10 min, 3 (7.5%) mean duration 12 min. Most were conducted by phone. Weighted average cost=£6.18
Review: no follow-up appointments
 GP review£45.9Per patientPSSRU 2009/201013 £106/h of GMS activity. Mean duration 26 min
Primary care costs
 GP-home£108Per consultationPSSRU 2009/201013
 GP-surgery£32Per consultationPSSRU 2009/201013
 GP-telephone£20Per consultationPSSRU 2009/201013
 Nurse-home£20Per consultationPSSRU 2009/201013
 Nurse-surgery£12Per consultationPSSRU 2009/201013
 Nurse-telephone£7.50Per consultationPSSRU 2009/201013 (based on an assumed multiplier for telephone consultations for nurse and healthcare assistant of 0.625, that is, 20/32
 Other-home£9Per consultationPSSRU 2009/201013 (clinical support worker nursing—community)
 Healthcare assistant-surgery consultation£7.50Per consultationBased on an assumed multiplier for telephone consultations for nurse and healthcare assistant of 0.625, that is, 20/32
Hospital costs
 Inpatient stayOrthopaedics=£873
General medicine=£395
Per bed dayISD Scotland, Scottish Health Service Costs, NHS Grampian, year ended 31 March 201012
R040 (&LS)—Specialty Group Costs—Inpatients
 Day casePain relief=£541(Net) per caseISD Scotland, Scottish Health Service Costs, NHS Grampian, year ended 31 March 201012 R042—Specialty Costs—Day Cases
 Outpatient clinic—consultant ledPain relief=£122Per attendanceISD Scotland, Scottish Health Service Costs, NHS Grampian, year ended 31 March 201012 R044—Specialty Costs—Consultant Outpatient Clinics
 Outpatient clinic—other (eg, physiotherapist)Pain relief=£37Per attendanceISD Scotland, Scottish Health Service Costs, NHS Grampian, year ended 31 March 201012 R046—Specialty Costs—AHP Outpatient Clinics
 MedicationsVaried by medicationDose, duration, pack size, number supplied etcBNF 61, March 201111
  • PIPPC study, Pharmacist-led management of chronic pain in primary care; PSSRU, Personal Social Services Research Unit; NHS National Health Service.