IMPACT OF A COST-CONTAINMENT PROGRAM ON THE USE OF VOLATILE ANESTHETICS AND NEUROMUSCULAR BLOCKING-DRUGS

Study Objective: To determine the impact of a cost containment program on the use of volatile anesthetics and neuromuscular blocking drugs. Design: Historical, controlled, retrospective analysis. Setting: Main operating rooms of an adult general hospital at a university medical c enter. Patients: All patients undergoing anesthesia between July 1991 and November 1993. Measurements and Main Results: Cost per case was de termined by dividing the monthly expenditure for each class of drug by the caseload for that month. Cost per case of volatile anesthetic dru gs decreased from $19.20 +/- 1.16 to $15.16 +/- 0.39 (p = 0.0034 by un paired t-test). For neuromuscular blocking drugs, cost per case decrea sed from $19.67 +/- 1.35 to $12.23 +/- 0.66 (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Concerted educational efforts can decrease the par case expenditures f or both volatile anesthetic drugs and neuromuscular blocking drugs.