E-drug: Improving medicines management. What works best?
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Dear e-druggers
I was wondering if anyone has come across, authored or researched the use
of guidelines for improving medicines management in hospital pharmacies in
developing countries ? Specifically I am interested in the ward or patient
level rather than the wider issues of supply management etc.
Many developed countries now have dedicated clinical pharmacy services.
Such services are less common in developing countries and many hospitals
do not even have a pharmacist on site even for basic supply functions. It
will be many years before this situation changes although great strides
are being made in some countries.
In the meantime should we not research and advise what can be done at ward
or institution level to prevent medicines related problems, adrs, errors ?
Could priorities be identified that would have the maximum impact with
minimum resources ?. Even the basics such as administration of potassium
chloride injection, identifying high risk patients, reconstitution and
storage of injections. Studies in developed countries have shown that
"medicines related problems" is a significant "disease" not far behind the
major killers and causes of morbidity.
Until the pharmacists role is fully recognised internationally can
progress be made in improving medicines management in hospitals, and if so
how ?
Regards,
David Woods
Consultant Pharmacist
University of Otago
Dunedin
NEW ZEALAND
david.woods@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
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