An audit on the amount of drug wastage and the cost related to the disposal of unused intravenous agents in the operating theatres in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

: This manuscript presents an audit focused on assessing the extent of drug wastage and associated costs linked to the disposal of unused intravenous agents within the operating theatres of a tertiary care hospital. The study aims to carefully look at drug wastage, figure out why it happens, and propose strategies for optimizing resource utilization and cost-efficiency in clinical settings. : This audit is a prospective observational study carried out in a tertiary care hospital. The amount of drug loaded preoperatively, the amount of drug utilized, the amount of drug unutilized and discarded, the total quantity of drug wasted, and the cost related to the wastage were calculated in percentage. The maximum wastage of loaded drugs was seen with atropine (100%), followed by ephedrine (93.6%), propofol (52.5%), phenylephrine (35.2%), atracurium (28.6%), dexmedetomidine (27.8%), fentanyl (16.8%), vecuronium (16.2%) and morphine (6.4%). The cost analysis revealed that 36.3% of the total loaded drugs were wasted amounting to Rs.46903.54. The cost of wastage of propofol was maximum with Rs.14006 which is 29.8% of total cost wastage followed by atracurium 21%(Rs.9856), dexmedetomidine 18.4%(Rs.8687.5), ephedrine 14.7%(Rs.6919), phenylephrine 10.4%(Rs.4910), fentanyl 3.7%(Rs.1780), atropine 1.9% (Rs.906), vecuronium 1.2% (Rs.563.76), Morphine 0.18% (Rs.85.28).: In our audit, the maximum drug wastage was observed with atropine (100%) amounting to Rs.906, and the cost of wastage was maximum with propofol amounting to Rs.14006 which was 29.8% of the total cost of wastage. Our audit underscores the importance of proactive management of drug wastage and disposal costs in healthcare settings, particularly within operating theatres where intravenous agents play a crucial role in patient treatment. By conducting a comprehensive audit and proposing targeted interventions, healthcare institutions can optimize resource utilization, enhance sustainability, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.