Is the introduction of new anesthetic drugs and techniques economically justified?

Newer anesthetic agents provide for a faster onset, easier titration, and a more rapid recovery than the older agents, but are more expensive. In assessing the financial consequences associated with their use, it is important to examine the total costs (including personnel costs) and not just the acquisition costs of new drugs. Claims of cost savings from new drugs should be subjected to close scrutiny, with studies designed to show that the preferential use of the newer drug is associated with actual decreased payments for personnel, an earlier return to normal activities by the patient and their caretakers, or the treatment of an additional patient in the same operating room session. It may be necessary to alter work patterns to obtain the full benefits of the new drugs (e.g. bypass of the labor-intensive phase I postanesthetic care unit). Finally, greater cost savings in the operating room can be achieved by increasing efficiency in resource use. A mere 30-min delay in starting to treat a patient can negate any cost savings related to the anesthesiologist's choice of drugs.