Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert
One Vial, Three Patients
Question: How do I code for chemotherapy drugs when one vial is used for several patients? For example, if I had a 100-unit vial and three patients got 30 units each, who pays for the other 10?
Michigan Subscriber
Answer: If it�s a multidose vial, you could use the additional 10 units for another patient if the drug is not past the expiration date. You can bill the exact units used per patient.
If you do not have someone scheduled to use that drug within the next few days, you would bill the total dose and document the waste. You should also report how much was given. You will be reimbursed for the total contents of the vial, both what was used and what was wasted, as long as it is documented.
� Questions answered by Elaine Towle, CMPE, practice administrator for New Hampshire Oncology and Hematology in Hooksett, N.H.; Jim Hugh, MHA, senior vice president with AMAC, a reimbursement and billing firm based in Atlanta; and Margaret Hickey, MS, MSN, RN, OCN, CORLN, an independent coding consultant in New Orleans.
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One Vial, Three Patients
Question: How do I code for chemotherapy drugs when one vial is used for several [...]
