INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH & OPINION

Cost awareness does not necessarily mean cost savings

The simple measure of placing price stickers on drug packages did not result in significant changes in drug usage in a residency programme, tertiary care setting, report Drs JC Horrow and H Rosenberg from the US.

Their study comprised an ll-week control period followed by a I3-week period during which price stickers clearly indicating the hospital cost of each unit of drug were placed on drug packages. The drugs involved were neuromuscular blocking and rapidly acting hypnotic agents. Anaesthetists, residents and nurse anaesthetists were unaware that the study was being carried out.

Compared with the control period, cost awareness did not affect usage of pancuronium bromide, vecuronium bromide, succinylcholine, mivacurium chloride or atracurium besilate, although usage of pipecurium bromide did decrease. Similarly, usage of thiopental sodium, etomidate and propofol did not differ between the control and priced periods, but the usage of methohexital did decrease.

The costs of these anaesthetic drugs did not differ between the 2 study periods when corrections were made for either the number of anaesthesia cases or total anaesthesia duration. The results of this study 'underscore the need for more substantive mechanisms to induce thrift', say Drs Horrow and Rosenberg.

Horrow JC, Rosenberg H. Price stickers do not alter drug usage. Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia 41: 1047-1052, Nov 1994 1!OO319929

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PHARMACORESOURCES 3 Dec 1994