TABLE 5.

Cost per test in Australian dollars

TestCost per testAdditional costsaProcessing time (min) at $34/hbTime to final result (h)Total costc IDI-MRSA$45$0.20152$53.60
GenoType MRSA Direct$56$4.602.5 hd6$144.80 MRSA ID$1.80$2.401048-72$9.80
MRSASelect$1.50$2.401048-72$9.50 CHROMagar MRSA$2.05$2.401048-72$10.05
• a Additional costs include plastic wear, filter tips, consumables, sensitivity plates and disks, master mix, etc.

• b Scientist level (year 8) = \$33.68 per hour. Processing time reflects the time for a single agar sample or the time for 16 samples (14 samples, one positive control, and one negative control) for IDI-MRSA or 8 samples for GenoType MRSA Direct. Both molecular tests are limited by the final step, specifically by the number of spaces on the Smartcycler (IDI-MRSA) or Twincubator (GenoType MRSA Direct) machine.

• c Total cost = cost per test + additional consumable/reagent cost + (processing time × 33.68).

• d Processing time consists of extraction, setting up PCRs, and 12 hybridization steps, with 2 steps of 30 min each and 10 steps ranging from 1 to 15 min each, therefore restricting laboratory staff from multitasking.