Overview

In the face of economic challenges in hospitals, pharmacists and pharmacy managers are once again being challenged to cut costs.  Inhaled anesthetic agents, also known as volatile anesthetics, are a key component of general anesthesia during surgery in the U.S. and may comprise a substantial portion of the pharmacy drug budget, especially in hospitals with large surgery programs.

Faculty will discuss appropriate selection of inhaled anesthetic agents including understanding both the pharmacology of this class of drugs and the complexities associated with the dosage and administration of the agents.  Factors that should be taken into consideration during a pharmacoeconomic analysis of inhaled anesthetic agents will also be discussed. Patient case studies will demonstrate how inhaled anesthetics are determined for selected patients.  Health-system pharmacy decision makers and clinicians will benefit from attending this educational activity that will position them to work with the anesthesia care providers to develop strategies for selection and use of the inhaled anesthetic agents to improve patient outcomes and control the cost of using these agents in hospitals.