The purchase price of prefilled syringes for common out-of-patent and low-cost anaesthetic medications is significantly more than ampoules; however economic considerations should also include other direct and indirect costs:

• drawing up medications not only involves the cost of the ampoules but also the associated syringes, needles and packaging, plus their correct disposal.

• professional time taken to prepare and label syringes should also be included. Current theatre time cost is estimated at £20 a minute.

• there are less quantifiable costs associated with medication errors (complications/ ICU treatment expenses, medico legal bills and compensation). Additionally, 15% of all healthcare budgets are spent on managing adverse events that can be decreased with the use of prefilled syringes.