Martin J L Bucx1, Jouke J J Landman2, Hein A W van Onzenoort3, Matthijs Kox4, Gert-Jan Scheffer5. 1. Department of Anaesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre, Internal postal code 717, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: Martin.Bucx@Radboudumc.nl. 2. Department of Anaesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre, Internal postal code 717, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.landman@antoniusziekenhuis.nl. 3. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Internal postal code 864, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Toxicology, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, PO Box 5800, 6202 GA Maastricht, The Netherlands. 4. Department of Anaesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre, Internal postal code 717, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre, Internal postal code 710, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. 5. Department of Anaesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre, Internal postal code 717, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVE: The study objective is to investigate the effects of a simple price list sticker placed on vaporizers on anesthetic use and costs. The price list only showed the cost per hour of the annually most expensive drugs, which had a low-cost alternative. DESIGN: The design is a prospective database study with historical controls. SETTING: The setting is at operating rooms. PATIENTS: All patients are undergoing a surgical procedure under anesthesia in both study periods, except cardiothoracic and day care patients. INTERVENTIONS: The intervention is application of a price list sticker on the vaporizers. MEASUREMENTS: Monthly cost and amount of anesthetic agents used during the 9 months before and after the intervention. MAIN RESULTS: After application of the price stickers, the use of both the annually most expensive agents and the anesthetic budget decreased substantially. Most notable was a decrease of 28% in the use of sevoflurane. CONCLUSIONS: Price sticker on vaporizers may be an effective, simple, and cheap method to reduce anesthetic costs.
STUDY OBJECTIVE: The study objective is to investigate the effects of a simple price list sticker placed on vaporizers on anesthetic use and costs. The price list only showed the cost per hour of the annually most expensive drugs, which had a low-cost alternative. DESIGN: The design is a prospective database study with historical controls. SETTING: The setting is at operating rooms. PATIENTS: All patients are undergoing a surgical procedure under anesthesia in both study periods, except cardiothoracic and day care patients. INTERVENTIONS: The intervention is application of a price list sticker on the vaporizers. MEASUREMENTS: Monthly cost and amount of anesthetic agents used during the 9 months before and after the intervention. MAIN RESULTS: After application of the price stickers, the use of both the annually most expensive agents and the anesthetic budget decreased substantially. Most notable was a decrease of 28% in the use of sevoflurane. CONCLUSIONS: Price sticker on vaporizers may be an effective, simple, and cheap method to reduce anesthetic costs.