John
Branded Diprivan comes in pre-filled special tagged syringes. The tag is "read" by a sensor on the pump as the syringe is fitted. The pump therefore knows the drug type and concentration directly from the syringe, thus eliminating a potential operator error.
Drawing up generic Propofol into a syringe requires use of a Target Controled Infusion (TCI) pump that will ignore the tag. Not all TCI pumps on the market can do this.
The stuff itself is brilliant. I've had some and you go out like a light and wake up absolutely fresh, with no fuziness. I heard however that the generic Propofol is rather less effective than the branded stuff, requiring a larger dose to achieve the correct level of anaesthesia. Consequently the savings of generic over branded aren't quite as great as the salesmen will tell you.
Marc
