Pharmacy Drug Information Overview

Introduction

• Pharmacists are primary sources for drug information.
• Drug experts answer questions about drug uses, side effects, interactions, dosages, and more.
• Pharmacists are responsible for providing accurate, unbiased, and well-referenced drug information.
• Pharmacists may work at drug information centers or poison control centers.

Definitions

• Drug information is gathered through reading, studying, and practical experience.
• Objective information is gathered from scientific observations; Subjective information is gathered through practical experience.
• Drug information is the process pharmacists use to optimize drug use.
• Drug informatics is the use of technology to organize, analyze, and manage medication use on patients.
• Computer technology has positively changed the ability to store and access medication information.

Drawbacks of Drug Informatics

• Need to validate information obtained.
• Misinformation may result in harmful behavior or medication errors.

Drug Information Center (DIC)

• A DIC is an official center in a health care setting with a trained pharmacist and a library of drug information sources.
• The development of DIC's and drug information specialists was the beginning of clinical pharmacy practice.
• DIC's help physicians increasingly select the most suitable drugs for individual patients due to the growing number and complexity of drugs.

Roles of a DIC

• Answer questions about drugs, uses, side effects, interactions, etc.
• Prepare newsletters about drugs, new drugs, reports, and reviews.
• Prevent adverse drug reactions, report new ADR's, and weigh risk vs. benefit.
• Drug use review/evaluation for new drugs that become commercially available.
• Provide education, training, newsletters, and websites.
• Manage drug formularies.
• Support the self-care movement.