The clinical effects and financial impact of a change in prescribing habits from routine to occasional use of perioperative bronchodilators, following the presentation of drug information, were assessed retrospectively by comparing the outcomes of patients admitted for major thoracic surgery. Eighteen of 24 (75%) patients in Period A (prior to change) received salbutamol bronchodilator therapy versus 10 of 17 (59%) in Period B (following the change) (p = .448). Of the patients who did receive salbutamol aerosols, the mean dose in grams per patient was greater in Period A than in Period B (6.85 +/- 5.96 vs. 2.64 +/- 4.44 respectively p