Drug expenses induced by anaesthesiologists.

Objectives: To assess expenses generated by prescriptions from anaesthesiol ogists in the operating theatre, recovery rooms, surgical intensive therapy units, postoperative care on surgical wards (digestive surgery, orthopaedi cs, gynaecology, obstetrics. paediatric surgery). Methods: Prospective study (one year) with evaluation of the costs induced by intravenous and volatile anaesthetics, morphinic and non morphinic analg esics, neuromuscular blocking agents, crystalloids, antibiotics, intravenou s nutrient solutions, blood substitutes, anticoagulants, vitamins and vasoa ctive drugs. Results: The expenses resulting from these prescriptions reached the quarte r of the total drug hospital budget. They were equally distributed between anaesthesia and intensive therapy units on the one hand and postoperative c are on surgical wards on the other hand. Intravenous anaesthetic agents, an tibiotics, crystalloids, represented each one more than 10% of the total co st. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the weight of prescriptions by anaesth esiologists in the hospital budget. At our hospital, it was mainly dug to t heir activity outside the operating theatre, especially on surgical wards. Therefore anaesthesiologists are essential partners for the elaboration of a cost containment policy. (C) 1999 Elsevier, Paris.