2005 Edition Report on Drug Administration Procedure & Practices ...

and generates a complete drug profile for each patient. It is a medication refill systemdesigned to save nursing time. The refill duration should be decided locally with the aim ofminimising the amount of ward drug return and drug wastage.Individual Patient Dispensing4.53 The majority of inpatient medications should be supplied on an individual patient basis bythe pharmacy. Individual patient dispensing enables the pharmacist to verify the safety andappropriateness of each prescription order and to detect and deal with any potentialproblems such as drug interactions and drug allergies before supplying medications to wards.The correct dispensing of medications is the professional responsibility and duty of thepharmacy staff.Involvement of Pharmacists in the Drug Administration Process4.54 Pharmacists should take an active role in the drug administration process which is anintegral part of patient care. This should be achieved through having a Clinical PharmacyService at the ward level. All information available including that contained within thepatients’ notes as well as that obtained on ward rounds and by direct communication withthe doctor and patient should be used by the clinical pharmacists to offer advice to doctorsand nurses on appropriate medications and potential medication-related problems.4.55 Pharmacists should ensure that medications are used rationally, cost-effectively and in theirproper therapeutic context. Verification by the prescribing doctors must be made shouldthere be ambiguity or doubt in the appropriateness of the drug orders.Clinical Pharmacy Service4.56 A Clinical Pharmacy Service involves the practice of pharmacy in a multidisciplinaryhealthcare team with the objective of achieving the best possible quality use of medicationsand thus providing optimal patient care. The service includes medication history taking,drug supply, drug therapy monitoring, drug information, discharge patient counselling andpharmacokinetic interventions. The Clinical Pharmacist-run Compliance and Refill Clinicshave been set up, as part of the clinical pharmacy service initiatives, in many specialistclinics of the hospitals.4.57 A Satellite Pharmacy Service is a mode of operation in the Clinical Pharmacy Service. It hasalready been implemented in PMH, PYNEH, TKOH and TMH with satisfactory results. TheSatellite Pharmacy is in close proximity to the wards. It enhances the involvement of theclinical pharmacy service and the efficiency of the in-patient pharmacy service. It optimisesthe drug distribution system and minimises the amount of ward drug supply. This results inreduced ward drug return and unnecessary drug wastage. Nurse dispensing duties arereduced and more nursing time can be given to patient care. It also allows a unit dosedispensing system to be practised.Preparation of Drugs4.58 Pharmacists are recommended to supply drugs in the most appropriate form or the mostready-to-administer form in order to minimise errors. Therefore, the provision of TPN,28