Drug Information Center Network: Need, Effectiveness, and Cost Justification

Abstract

trations de gentamicine suivant une dialyse apres I'administration d'une dose (2 mg/kg en 30 min) chez des patients non-infectes presentant une insuffisance renale chronique. Chez les six patients evalues, les auteurs ont observe une augmentation moyenne de 3.6070 a 0.5 h, 12.6070 iI I h (p < 0.05) et 6.6070 a 2 h. Le changement maximal des concentrations seriques observe chez ces patients variait de 7.3 iI RESEARCH/PRACTICE 55.9 070. Malgre que l'effet rebond des concentrations de gentamicine observe dans cetle etude soit statistiquement significatif, la grande variabilite interpatient et la faible etendue absolue de cette variation rendent ce rebond non significatif cliniquement.ABSTRACT: During the past 15 years, the pharmacy profession has experienced much change. Certain pharmacy roles are being challenged and others are coming into existence. Today, healthcare practitioners and health-care providers are seeking services not sought before from pharmacists in the area of rational therapeutics. This need for information extends to all pharmacy practice settings: institutional, independent pharmacies, chain stores, governmental agencies, and the pharmaceutical industry. In order to meet this demand for drug and toxicology information, however, the pharmacist must use resources outside the immediate area of his practice. The Drug Information Center (DIC) can be used as such a resource by pharmacists in their daily practice to provide the best possible care with regard to the rational use of drugs for their patients/clients. Specifically, our data indicate that in Tennessee, (I) there is a need for providing drug and toxicology information; (2) pharmacists perceive their role to be providers of drug information as well as drugs; (3) the DIC plays an integral and necessary role as a back-up information resource and in teaching, service, research, and continuing education programs; and (4) the programs provided by the DIC are cost effective and cost justifiable. Drug In/ell Clin Pharm 1987;2/:49-56. KEY WORDS: Drug Information Center, rational therapeutics, cost effectiveness.IN THE LAST FEW DECADES, some roles in pharmacy have been challenged and others have come into existence. 1.2 One of these challenging areas involves pharmacists functioning as drug and toxicology information consultants or providers of drug and toxicology information.!" Today, health-care practitioners, health-care providers, patients, and the general public demand information services that were not required before from pharmacists on the rational use of drugs.":" With the growing emphasis on clinical pharmacy practice and the advances in the medical profession and pharmaceutical industry, drug information centers (DIC) throughout the U.S. have been asked to provide more drug information services. In addition, DIC continue to par-

Comparison of Drug Information Practice in Hospitals and Industry

“…This is not true for industry (39,40). External forces affecting industry's communication of drug infor mation include the politicization of health care, involvement of journalists, politi cians, or other activists groups, and soci ety's demands for greater accountability and more information.…”

Sistema Brasileiro de Informação sobre Medicamentos - SISMED

“…A idéia de formação de uma rede de CIMs coordenada por um Centro de caráter nacional não é nova no contexto mundial (Calder et al, 1981;Skoutakis et al, 1987;Bonati & Tognoni, 1995;Öhman, 1995). No Brasil, a primeira proposta foi feita em 1992 por um dos autores, exata- mente 30 anos depois que o primeiro CIM foi implantado no mundo, e está em desenvolvimento (Vidotti et al, 2000).…”

Fee-For-Service and Cost Justification Activities of Pharmacist-Manned Drug Information Centers in the United States

“…Annual budgets for DICs, excluding salaries, range from $35,000-$l 10,000 (9,(17)(18)(19). It has also been reported that some large public DICs have annual budgets of as much as $500,000 (18).…”