E-drug: Computers and drug information (cont)
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Maciej,
I am not aware of any computer programs which can summarise potential
interactions of more than two drugs at the same time. There are many
which will provide warnings and contraindications for single drugs or
drug groups.
A better approach is to support the operation of drug information centres
which are accessible to clinical practitioners. In Australia, the National
Prescribing Service has recently funded a drug and therapeutic
information service which operates via a national telephone number.
The service is provided by pharmacists in six hospital-based drug
information centres and provides a free service to health
professionals in community practice. The aim is to use the best
information sources and offer recommendations regarding drug therapy
for individual patients. Computer programs are useful for accessing
data but have limited ability to make clinical judgments for patients
with complex therapy or concurrent diseases.
Graeme Vernon
Drug Information Pharmacist
Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre, Melbourne
Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, Australia
Tel: + 61 3 9496 5668,
fax: + 61 3 9459 4546
Graeme Vernon <vernon@austin.unimelb.edu.au>
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