Implementation of a new dantrolene formulation across a multifacility health system.

PURPOSE: An initiative to optimize the treatment of malignant hyperthermia in surgical patients through a dantrolene product conversion program is described.

SUMMARY: A large health system's formulary evaluation of a new dantrolene sodium product indicated that despite a higher cost per treatment course, the product could offer key advantages over older formulations of dantrolene in terms of preparation and administration time, product content, and storage requirements. A work group, consisting of pharmacy personnel, an anesthesiologist, a nurse anesthetist, and a representative of the health system's group purchasing organization, determined that a switch to the new dantrolene product would offer both patient care benefits and process benefits. With the approval of the health system's pharmacy and therapeutics committee, the new product was added to the formulary as the preferred dosage form of dantrolene, and existing dantrolene product stock was converted to the new formulation. Key implementation steps included (1) concurrent replacement of dantrolene stock on all "malignant hyperthermia carts" across the 15-hospital health system, (2) development of educational materials to raise awareness of the conversion and revised product preparation procedures, (3) anesthesiology provider and pharmacy staff education, (4) revision of dantrolene listings in each hospital's computerized prescriber-order-entry system, and (5) redistribution of returned dantrolene product stock. The dantrolene product conversion occurred over a four-month period.

CONCLUSION: A multifacility health system was successful in converting an existing stock of dantrolene to a newly available formulation.