Drug use evaluation (DUE) programs may not be so widely
in place in Australia as they are in the US. There is not
any overall specific drive for DUE by government or an accreditation
body. Often individual hospitals are pursuing DUE where they can
demonstrate to hospital management that the program will pay for itself in
drug expenditure savings, for example. Others have been able to
establish DUE programs within quality improvement activities without
cost justification.
A Drug Utilisation Review Network has been formed to facilitate the
development of DUE in Australia and New Zealand and promote
associated activities. This is a multidisciplinary group from the
Australasian Society of Clinical & Experimental Pharmacologists and
Toxicologists (ASCEPT). We have a network of interested persons, a
DUE studies database, are developing operational guidelines, and
send out a newsheet. We are planning a DUE seminar in Melbourne in
December.
Regarding developing countries:
Ms Lucy Chow from the Solomon Islands (Pharmacy Services Division,
Ministry of Health and Medical Services) worked with us in DUE last year
and is planning to begin DUE studies in the Solomons this year.
(Fax: Solomon Islands 20420)
Dr Edelisa Carandang from the Philippines (National Drug Use
Programme, Dept of Health) also worked with us in DUE
previously. (email:edcar@phl.healthnet.org)
Let me know if you would like more details on any of this.
Jonathan Dartnell
Drug Utilisation Research Pharmacist
Department of Clinical Pharmacology
C/o Post Office, The Royal Melbourne Hospital
Victoria 3050, Australia
Tel: (61) (3) 9342 7612
Fax: (61) ( 3) 9342 7940
Email: jgad@nursing.medrmh.unimelb.edu.au