title: A simple intervention to reduce the anesthetic pharmacy budget; the effect of price list stickers placed on vaporizers.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  METHODS
  The design is a prospective database study with historical controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  The setting is at operating rooms.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients are undergoing a surgical procedure under anesthesia in both study periods, except cardiothoracic and day care patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The intervention is application of a price list sticker on the vaporizers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Monthly cost and amount of anesthetic agents used during the 9 months before and after the intervention.
  
  
  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.
authors: 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.
authors: Martin J L
authors: MJ
authors: Bucx
authors: 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.
authors: Jouke J J
authors: JJ
authors: Landman
authors: 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.
authors: Hein A W
authors: HA
authors: van Onzenoort
authors: 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.
authors: Matthijs
authors: M
authors: Kox
authors: Department of Anaesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre, Internal postal code 717, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Gert-Jan
authors: GJ
authors: Scheffer
mesh_terms: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D016527:Drug Costs; D004348:Drug Labeling; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics*; D009873:Operating Rooms / Q000191:economics; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000077149:Sevoflurane
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane
keywords: anesthetics/economics; catalogs; cost control/economics; education; pharmacy; price lists