Drug Information Center

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary objective of a Drug Information Center?

To sell medications to the public

To specialize in poison information services

To conduct pharmaceutical research

To provide comprehensive drug information services and education to medical students (correct)

What is the minimum requirement to start a DIC?

A team of trained pharmacists and a large facility

A large budget for hiring staff

A single individual trained in drug information and a computer with internet access (correct)

A large library of medical textbooks

How many trained individuals are ideal to help maintain the day-to-day functions of a DIC?

Ten

Five

Several (correct)

One

What is the main difference between a DIC and a poison information center?

Source of consultations Signup and view all the answers

What is a key requirement for a DIC in terms of space?

Enough space for computers, references, and supplies Signup and view all the answers

What is an important consideration when determining a DIC budget?

The cost of online databases Signup and view all the answers

What type of information must a poison information center be prepared to provide?

Information in the management of any poison situation Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of a poison information center?

It receives most consultations from the public Signup and view all the answers

What is the average response time for a poison control center?

5 minutes Signup and view all the answers

What is a required skill for a specialist in poison information?

Clinical toxicology expertise Signup and view all the answers

What is a necessary facility for a DIC?

Well-trained personnel Signup and view all the answers

What should be included in a drug information request form?

Requester information, original question, and response Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between a poison control center and a drug information center?

Poison control centers respond faster Signup and view all the answers

What is a key aspect of a specialist's role in poison information?

Communicating the plan accurately Signup and view all the answers

What is essential for a DIC to function efficiently?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

What is a duty of a drug information specialist?

Participating in patient care Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the primary services provided by Drug Information Centers (DICs)?

Responding to drug/medical questions Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a formulary system in healthcare institutions?

To direct practical use of medications for patients Signup and view all the answers

What is included in a formulary, in addition to a list of medications?

Policies and guidelines for medication use Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of policies in a formulary system?

To dictate how to handle non-formulary medications Signup and view all the answers

What type of service is Ask-A-Pharmacist web-based service an example of?

Responding to drug/medical questions Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a formulary in a healthcare institution?

To direct practical use of medications for patients Signup and view all the answers

What is a formulary, in addition to being a list of medications?

A continually updated list of medications and associated materials Signup and view all the answers

What represents the collective clinical judgment of professionals in a healthcare institution?

A formulary Signup and view all the answers

What service do many DICs affiliated with a hospital offer to help with?

Tracking and reporting adverse drug reactions and medication errors Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a newsletter written by a DIC?

To educate staff or faculty about new medications, guideline and policy updates, medication safety issues, and formulary news Signup and view all the answers

What triggers a DIC to prepare an in-service program?

An influx in questions about a particular disease state or medication Signup and view all the answers

What can be used to identify areas of problematic utilization of a particular medication?

MUEs Signup and view all the answers

What is a valuable part of DICs?

Training students and residents to respond to questions Signup and view all the answers

What are students and residents taught about during their rotation?

The various tertiary references and secondary databases available for research Signup and view all the answers

What is emphasized as a crucial aspect of a drug information specialist's work?

Accuracy and precision Signup and view all the answers

What can be prepared to educate the staff or faculty on the appropriate use of a medication or class of medications?

A presentation Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of a formulary system in a healthcare facility?

To ensure that the most effective, safe, and cost-effective medications are available for use Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of drug information pharmacists in the Committee during the review of medications?

To provide valuable insight due to their understanding of evidence-based principles and abilities to find and synthesize information about a drug Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a Medication Use Evaluation (MUE)?

To appraise and optimize how medications are managed in the medication use process for the purpose of improving patient outcomes Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the results of a Medication Use Evaluation (MUE)?

They are presented to the P&T Committee for follow-up and reassessment of previous formulary decisions Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome of the intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) MUE?

A list of supported and approved uses was developed Signup and view all the answers

What was the purpose of the cost assessment performed in the intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) MUE?

To estimate expenses saved by adhering to the list of supported and approved uses Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome of presenting the intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) MUE information to the P&T Committee?

The adopted usage list for IVIG was built into the electronic medical record Signup and view all the answers

What is the benefit of building the adopted usage list for IVIG into the electronic medical record?

It ensures that clinicians can only use IVIG in their patients from the approved list of indications and diagnoses Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Starting a Drug Information Center (DIC)

A DIC provides comprehensive drug information services and plays an active role in educating medical, dentistry, nursing, and pharmacy students
To start a DIC, an individual trained in drug information and a computer with internet access are needed
Ideally, a DIC would have several trained individuals to maintain day-to-day functions and access to at least one resource for each reference category

Facilities and Resources

Enough space is required to house computers, references, and supplies, and for staff and learners to work comfortably in a quiet environment
Financing a DIC requires enough money for pharmacists to staff the center and provide access to various references
The budget should consider the cost of text references and online databases

Drug Information Specialists' Duties

Respond to drug information questions from healthcare professionals and the general public
Participate in formulary management, medication use evaluations (MUEs), adverse drug reaction (ADR)/medication errors reporting, and education through newsletters and in-services

Formulary Management

A formulary is a continually updated list of medications and associated materials approved for use within a healthcare institution
Policies and guidelines should be in place to dictate the use of non-formulary medications
Drug information pharmacists provide valuable insight during the review of medications for formulary inclusion

Medication Use Evaluation (MUE)

A MUE is a tool used to continually review a formulary and optimize medication use
MUEs appraise and optimize medication use to improve patient outcomes
Results of MUEs are presented to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee for follow-up and reassessment of previous formulary decisions

Adverse Drug Reactions/Medication Errors Reporting

Many DICs affiliated with a hospital offer services to track and report ADRs and medication errors
Drug information specialists evaluate and set up decision support tools for drug interactions

Education

DICs participate in writing or editing newsletters to educate staff or faculty about new medications, guideline and policy updates, medication safety issues, and formulary news
In-services can be prepared to educate the appropriate audience about particular disease states or medications
MUEs can identify areas of problematic medication utilization, and in-services can be prepared to educate staff or faculty on the appropriate use of medications

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Description

A comprehensive resource for medical, dentistry, nursing, and pharmacy students, providing drug information services and education. A DIC requires trained individuals and computer access.