Drug information service awareness program and its impact on characteristics of inquiries at DIS unit in Malaysian public hospital

Abstract

Objectives:To study the Drug Information Service (DIS) awareness program organized by a DIS unit in Malaysian hospital through utilization of provided services by the healthcare professionals, allied healthcare providers, patients and the public, and to identify the characteristics of inquiries received. Materials and Methods: An awareness program to promote the services of the DIS unit was held throughout the month of March in 2010. Drug information queries forms that have been documented six months prior to (September 2009-February 2010) and six months after (April-September 2010) the awareness program were collected and assessed. Mean monthly inquiries volumes pre-and post-program were compared to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Types of information requestors, inquiries, reference sources, and drug class information were identified and evaluated. Results: A total of 747 drug information queries forms were received during the study period. The mean total utilization of the DIS unit services after (63.67 ± 18.24) the DIS awareness program was increased but not significant (P < 0.05) when compared to records before (60.83 ± 21.49) the program. Majority of the DIS service users were the pharmacist (67.5%), followed by the doctors (24.9%). Most inquiries were regarding the dosage and route of administration of drugs (61.4%). The most frequently referred sources of information were the Micromedex and the Internet (37.3%). The most common inquiries were related to the anti-infective agents (37.8%). Conclusion: Provision of sufficient and accurate drug information to the healthcare professionals, patients, and the public is crucial to ensure optimization of therapy. The utilization of services provided by the DIS unit should be supported. Frequent DIS awareness program should be undertaken to promote and encourage the use of services.

Assessment of the Use and Status of New Drug Information Centers in a Developing Country, Ethiopia: The Case of Public University Hospital Drug Information Centers

“…This is in line with previous studies (22% - 56 %) [16, 32]. Antimicrobials were reported as second highest next to antidepressants group in an assessment done in Iran [33].…”

“…This result was in accordance with other researches [16, 32]. But in Iran patients and their relatives were found to be major users of a drug and poison information center [33].…”

“…According to the heads of the centers, physicians and other health care workers unawareness to the DIC services was mentioned as a drawback. However a study in Malaysia [32] had demonstrated that promotional activities did not last long. Thus for promotional activities to create long lasting impressions, they should be done frequently.…”

Utilization of Recently Established Drug Information Centers Located in the Public Hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: An Assessment

“…This finding was similar to those of other studies, 9,11 possibly because the public was less aware about the service compared to health care professionals. However, this shows that patients are also in need of a reliable source of unbiased, objective, and contextual up-to-date drug information.…”

Estruturação De Um Serviço De Informações Sobre Medicamentos (Sim) Em Um Hospital Do Rio Grande Do Norte, Brazil

“…Não há estudos de perfil de uso de medicamentos no Hospital, no entanto, foi observado um considerável uso de antimicrobianos. Esta classe também figurou entre as mais presentes em SI da Etiópia (20) e da Malásia (22). O subgrupo anti-inflamatórios e antirreumáticos pode ter ganhado destaque devido à razoável frequência de uso destes medicamentos no Hospital, bem como o fato de que parte das SI neste subgrupo estava relacionada a uso de medicamentos no cenário de problemas de saúde autolimitados, cujos medicamentos eram isentos de prescrição, e não necessariamente necessitavam de profissional que os prescrevesse para que a aquisição dos mesmos fosse efetivada.…”