PHAR200 Drug Information Center

Course Information

• Course Title: Introduction to Drug Information (PHAR200)
• Institution: Lebanese International University, School of Pharmacy
• Department: Pharmacy Practice
• Semester: Spring 2023-2024

Chapters

• Medical Terminologies
• Drug Evaluation Monograph
• Pharmacist Patient Care Process (PPCP)
• Drug Information Resources
• Drug Consult
• Referencing
• Drug Information Center (DIC)
• Introduction to Biostatistics
• Evaluation of Literature
• Evaluation of Journal Club
• Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines

Drug Information Center (DIC)

• Drug Information is the provision of unbiased, well-referenced, and critically evaluated information on any aspect of pharmacy practice
• Drug Informatics emphasizes the use of technology as an integral tool in effectively organizing, analyzing, and managing information on medications
• DIC is an operational unit that provides technical and scientific information about drugs for optimum patient care in an objective and timely manner
• DIC relies on three major components:
  • Human: Qualified personnel
  • Material: Resources
  • Mean: Accessibility (Phone, fax, email)

DIC Goals

• Stimulate the effective use of drug information resources by pharmacists, physicians, and other healthcare professionals
• Educate pharmacy students in providing drug information
• Expand the role of the pharmacist in providing drug information services to hospitals and the community
• Supervise and monitor the continuing education program introduced by the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon (OPL)
• Train pharmacists and students on using the e-Library and online Continuing Education (CE) software
• Correct and update the Order's drugs database

DIC Major Activities

• Drug Information:
  • Provide medication information to patients, families, and healthcare professionals
  • Monitor adverse drug reactions (pharmacovigilance) and medication errors
  • Educate providers about medication-related policies and procedures for optimal medication use
  • Maintain drug database
• Formulary Activities:
  • Prepare drug monographs
  • Evaluate new drugs
  • Evaluate existing drugs
• Publications:
  • Publishing newsletters to educate patients, families, and healthcare professionals on medication use
• Staff Development:
  • Provide continuing education services to healthcare professionals
  • Assist in planning and implementing clinical programs
  • Develop training modules for pharmacists in clinical areas
  • Educate pharmacy students and residents
  • Develop and maintain an active research program
• Investigational Drug Program Activities:
  • Maintain control and accountability of investigational agents (FDA approved and non-approved) in adherence with Good Clinical Practices (GCPs) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and other relevant regulations
  • Assist with ongoing investigational drug studies
  • Ensure compliance with laws and established investigational procedures

DIC Considerations

• Equipment:
  • Telephone lines for immediate access
  • Computers with databases for information management, retrieval, and communication
  • Documentation of questions and responses, and preparation of reports of adverse drug events
  • Computerized medical records for assessing patient needs
  • Fax machine
  • Printer & Copier
• Specific Area:
  • The area should be close to the pharmacy department for accessibility
  • A sign or label on the door specifying who has access
• Personnel:
  • Specific criteria: Pharm.D, MS, or BS degree with specialized training in drug information, experience (1-2 years), residency, fellowship
  • General criteria: Computer skills, cooperative, confident, accurate, good English language
• Resources:
  • Types of resources: Tertiary (textbooks, handbooks), Secondary (index and abstract primary resources), Primary (journals)
  • Pharmacist responsibility to ensure up-to-date resources

Systematic Method for Responding to Drug Info.

• Initial Steps: When answering the phone, give the department name and your name, assess the requester's background and identify the true question
• Prioritizing Urgency: Evaluate the urgency and never provide hurried answers.
• Classifying Requests: Patient-specific or not, type of question (e.g., pharmacokinetics, toxicity, compounding, product availability, adverse drug events, drug interaction, safety in pregnancy/nursing, dosage, administration)
• Searching and Gathering Information: Obtain complete background, and systematically search primary, secondary, and tertiary literature
• Interpreting and Evaluating: Evaluate and interpret combined information from several sources
• Responding: Give written or oral consultation, or both, based on the requester's needs, repeating numbers back to requesters if needed
• Follow-Up: Perform a follow-up assessment to ensure the provided information is useful and document the process (request, sources, response, follow-up)

Documentation of Drug Information Requests

• Essential Elements:

  • Date and time received
  • Method of delivery (e.g., telephone, visit)
  • Requester's details (name, address, contact method, category)
  • Person assessing medication information needs
  • Classification of the request
  • Question asked
  • Patient-specific information obtained
  • Response provided
  • References used
  • Date and time answered
  • Person responding to the request
  • Estimated time for preparation and communication
  • Materials sent to requester
  • Outcome measures suggested (impact on patient care)

• Response Quality: Responses should be accurate, complete, and timely. This is critical for providing maximal clinical utility and establishing credibility.

Filing of Drug Information Requests

• Maintain records of all questions
• Filing methods: Paper-based (forms), Computer-based (software)
• Pharmacist responsibility to stay up-to-date on advancements in the field and use appropriate tools for addressing information requests regarding pharmacotherapy or pharmacy practice-related issues.

This quiz explores the concepts and terminology surrounding the Drug Information Center (DIC) as part of the PHAR200 course. Understand the role of drug information in pharmacy practice, the process of evaluating drug information, and the use of technology in managing pharmaceutical data. Test your knowledge on how DIC contributes to optimal patient care.