Medication selection and medication review
Dr Chang elaborates on how the PTC carry out medication selection and review, and monitor adverse drug reaction.
Key points
PTC carries out medication selection and review. The review should:
- Be unbiased, as should the discussion of the review.
- Consider multiple criteria, including medication efficacy, safety and cost etc.
Barriers to optimal formulary decisions may include:
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Physician experience
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Physician preference
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Unpublished or anecdotal studies and reports
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Representatives of drug companies
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Medication selection criteria should not be based on the above factors.
New medication application process using the Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TVGH) model:
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Physician sends the application to PTC office.
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PTC staff pharmacist makes an administrative review and sends an application for professional review.
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Preliminary review carried out by 2 specialty physicians and 1 specialty clinical pharmacist.
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The PTC secretary send review results for advanced review during formal PTC meeting.
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If approved, the purchasing department will be contacted.
Medication use evaluation optimizes patient outcomes by regularly evaluating and improving medication-use processes. Medications may be reviewed based on their use, safety, cost, or a combination of factors. It is crucial to review timely data and develop action plans to follow up on potential issues.
The core concern of PTC is patient safety, thus they also perform medication safety evaluation. PTC is responsible for generating adverse drug reaction reports and medication error reports. The PTC should consistently review and record medication-event data to make recommendations to prevent future errors.
Some possible topics to report on include:
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Adverse effects
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Issues in preparation
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Sound-alike or look-alike drugs
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Dosing or administration issues
At TVGH there is a constantly updated list of look-alike drugs to remind medical staff of potential mix-ups.
Share and learn:
How does your hospital assess the purchase of new drugs?
How does your hospital keep track of look-alike drugs?
Good Pharmacy Practice: Medication Management
Good Pharmacy Practice: Medication Management
