Costs and savings associated with a pharmacists prescribing for minor ailments program in Saskatchewan

Table 2 Estimate productivity loss cost associated with OTC drug for five minor ailments

Ailment	Absent days per year	Productivity loss cost^a	Efficacy (Rx vs. placebo)	Efficacy (OTC vs. placebo)	Incremental efficacy^b	Incremental productivity loss cost for OTC^c	Number of OTC requests in 2014	Total productivity loss cost for OTC^d
Allergic Rhinitis	3.6 [28]	$718.8	0.59 [31]	0.21 [31]	0.38	$273.2	660	$180,301
GERD	5.4 [29]	$1078.3	0.45 [32]	0.36 [32]	0.09	$97.0	135	$13,186
Headache	3.8 [29]	$766.8	0.51 [33]	0.41 [34]	0.1	$76.7	80	$6,165
Cold sore	2.7 [30]	$543.1	0.38 [35]	0.08 [35]	0.3	$162.9	1914	$311,924
Musculoskeletal	7.2 [29]	$1437.7	0.48 [36]	0.4 [37]	0.08	$115.0	121	$13,996

^aProductivity loss cost = The value of an individual’s time per working day ($199.68)* absent day per year
^bIncremental efficacy = Efficacy (Rx vs. placebo) − efficacy (OTC vs. placebo)
^cIncremental productivity loss cost for OTC = Productivity loss cost* incremental efficacy
^dTotal productivity loss cost for OTC = Incremental productivity loss cost for OTC* number OF OTC request

ISSN: 1478-7547