Evaluating the clinical, operational, and financial opportunities for developing a pharmacist-led iron infusion clinic
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Publication Date
4-29-2026
Keywords
oregon, ppmc, ppmc gme, ppmc gme pharmacy
Disciplines
Medical Education
Abstract
Abstract: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) affects more than three million individuals in the United States and frequently requires intravenous (IV) iron therapy when oral iron is ineffective due to malabsorption, intolerance, or the need for rapid repletion. At many health systems, patients requiring IV iron are routinely referred to hematology specialists, even when cases could potentially be managed in a primary care or pharmacist-led setting. This practice can lead to delays in treatment due to limited specialist availability and inefficient utilization of healthcare resources. Pharmacist-provider collaborative clinics have demonstrated success in improving access to care and optimizing medication management in various disease states. The purpose of this project is to evaluate current IV iron utilization patterns and identify clinical, operational, and financial opportunities to support the development of a pharmacist-led iron infusion clinic. This study is a single-center, retrospective pre–post analysis of adult patients re ceiving IV iron at Providence Franz Clinic and Providence Cancer Institute (PCI) West Clinic. Pre-intervention data was collected from February 2, 2025, through August 19, 2025, and post-intervention data will be collected following imple mentation of a pharmacist-led IV iron clinic. Eligible patients include adults ≥18 years old with absolute or functional iron deficiency referred by hematology providers and treated with IV iron formulations. Patients receiving hemodialysis or meeting other exclusion criteria will be excluded. Data collected includes or dered iron formulations, number of administrations per patient, infusion time, treatment cost, and associated net margins. The primary objective is to evaluate current IV iron prescribing patterns and cost margins for each formulation. Secondary objectives include identifying operational opportunities for a pharmacist-led clinic through estimating potential physician visits saved and evaluating opportunities to streamline formulary prescribing. Pre-intervention analysis included 221 patients treated with IV iron formulations across both clinics. Results from the post-intervention period will be analyzed to assess the impact of pharmacist-led management on clinical workflow, resource utilization, and financial outcomes. Findings from this study may support implementation of pharmacist-led infusion services to improve efficiency, patient access, and health system resource allocation. Learning objectives: Describe current utilization patterns of intravenous iron formulations in an outpatient oncology and infusion clinic setting. Evaluate clinical, operational, and financial considerations for implementing a pharmacist led intravenous iron infusion clinic.
Specialty/Research Institute
Graduate Medical Education
Specialty/Research Institute
Pharmacy
