E-drug: Practice Standards for Drug Information Services
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Hi all
You will recall that some time ago help was sought on this list with
setting up a Drug Information Service. The South African
Association of Hospital and Institutional Pharmacists (SAAHIP)
has published a "Practice Standard for the Provision of Drug
Information Services" (drafted by Carolyn Rochat, with input from
Leesette Turner, Health and Medicines Information Services;
Riana Smook, MedsInfo and Genclin Pharmacy Management;
Lee Baker, Pharmnet Amayeza Information Centre; Tanya Maurer,
Medicines Information Centre; Barbara Mielke, SAAHIP Executive
committe). The final document, as approved by the SAAHIP
Executive, has been posted on our web site:
It can be found under the POLICY section, and can be downloaded
as a Word document (279KB)or as an Adobe PDF (60KB).
The preamble reads:
These guidelines are intended to provide a framework for the
hospital and institutional pharmacist to provide a drug information
service in their place of work, and to develop a systematic
approach in answering enquiries. It is intended to provide a
minimum standard of service provision which aims to a) enhance
the image and credibility of the profession, and b) ensure that
information of the highest standard is provided to healthcare
professionals to the ultimate benefit of the patient. Guidance is
also given on where the service can be extended. This practice
standard serves to formalise some of the activities already
undertaken by hospital pharmacists in their daily work. Although
the provision of a drug information centre would be the ideal to
strive for this is not always practical within the arena of limited
resources.
Therefore, while written for South African conditions, it will also
hopefully be of use in other developing country contexts.
Comments on the Practice Standard can be sent to Carolyn
Rochat at <rochatc@nbi-kzn.org.za>
regards
Andy
Andy Gray
agray@pixie.udw.ac.za
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