Value for money of reusable versus disposable ophthalmic instruments for intravitreal injections

AIM: The aim of this study was to follow the instruments' pathways and cost each segment to calculate whether reusable or disposable ophthalmic instruments offer better value for money for intravitreal injections. METHODS: The cycles and costs of reusable and single-use disposable instruments used for intravitreal injections were mapped out, including purchase costs, transport to and from the place of use, opening and disposal, sterilisation, replacement, salary costs of staff involved, etc. RESULTS: The cost of using reusable instruments for intravitreal injections (NZ$29.00) was lower than the cost of using disposable instruments ($30.51) by $1.51 per patient. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal injections performed with reusable instruments offer better value for money than when performed with disposable instruments. This equates to a beneficial financial saving just for this one low-complexity case. Such savings can multiply significantly when considering the instruments used in a wider variety of ophthalmic procedures. There are of course trade-offs between safety, quality, cost and sustainability.