DRUG INFORMATION SERVICES

 Many new drugs have been coming up in clinical

practices due to development of natural/synthetic
medicinal chemistry.
 This has created the need of drug information centres in
hospital to provide information on drugs.
 The commonest method for physician obtaining
information about drugs is by:-
i. By visiting of representative of pharmaceutical company
ii. By attending lectures and symposia
iii. By reading advertisement in medical literature
iv. Studying product data sheet circulated by
manufactures, reports from committee on safety of
medicines and medical journals.
 ROLE OF PHARMACIST
 Pharmacist must be the part of Drug information
Centre as he has skill knowledge about the drugs and
its action.
 Post graduate pharmacist is well versed in getting and
collecting the information or he can be further trained
in information science.
 The drug information-pharmacist is at the interface of
the vast amount of knowledge residing in the literature
on the one side and the persons needing that
knowledge for the safe effective treatment of patient
on the other.
 The drug information-pharmacist has to collect, assess
the information and communicate the clinically
relevant information to the appropriate users.
 SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 A drug information centres must have a good

collection of sources material in order to answer the
question whenever they arise .
 This should be continuously updated and maintained.
 Information emerges originally from research and
development.
 Such information are publicized for the first time by
way of what are called ‘primary sources’.
 Sometimes these may take the form of informal
communications and letters exchanged between
person working in the same field.
 Conferences including discussion and session can be
valuable source of primary information .
SOURCES OF INFORMATION

PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 Patent contain original informations regarding the
discovery of drug or its information into a medicine.
 Report containing scientific data is submitted to the
medicines commission to obtain product license.
 Scientific journals.
SECONDARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION
 Abstracts and index services – International
Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts,
Biological Abstracts, Index Medicus, Electronic
Orange Book, etc.
 Formularies, pharmacopoeias and text books
SOURCES OF INFORMATION

TERTIARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 It does not answer the problems concerned but act as a
picture to where it may found – Dictonaries and
encyclpedia as Merck Index, Martinedale.
OTHER SOURCES
 Libraries,
 Research Association,
 Government bodies ,
 Information Centers
 Industries,
 City analyst laboratories and poison centers which can
be consulted to answer the specific problems.
DRUG INFORMATION BULLETIN

 To communicate the information

regarding the new development to the
physician, nurses and other staff
members, drug information centre may
published a bulletin for circulation.
 This bulletin may feature an advance
research in medical sciences,
pharmakokinetic, adverse effects and
drug interaction data helpful to the
physicians.
 It may give abstract services for new
MISCELANEOUS SERVICES

 Drug information centre may organize a

symposium or conference or seminar in
specific fields to increase the knowledge
of physicians.
 Particular problems can also be solved
by organizing a discussion panel in
which drug information centre’s can
invite the specialist of that particular
field.
 Drug information centres can start a
poison information service to provide
Thank you