43 Zuniga, Angel Leo M.

2F-PH

Chapter 4

1. How do formularies influence medication use within institutions?

Hospital Formulary is a method whereby the Medical Staff of an institution,

working through a PTC, evaluates, appraises and selects from among
numerous available medicinal agents and dosage forms those that are
considered most useful in patient care

2. How can pharmacists take a leadership role in the formulary management?

A pharmacist must guide the P and T committee activities to assure optimal

medication management. Pharmacist responsibilities may include:
Establish P and T committee meeting agenda
Analyze and disseminate scientific, clinical. And health economic
information regarding a medication or therapeutic class for review by
the P and T committee
Conduct drug use evaluation and analyze data
Record and archive P and T committee actions
Follow up research when necessary
Communicate P and T committee decisions to other health care
professionals such as pharmacy staff, medical staff and patient staff
3. What are the key elements in successful and efficient operation of a
pharmacy and therapeutics committee?

In order for pharmacists to efficiently impact a great number of patients, a

different approach is necessary. Fortunately, one approach pharmacists can
take is to participate in the activities of a P&T committee or its equivalent,
which generally oversees all aspects of drug therapy in an
institution. Physicians and pharmacists have collaborated to implement cost-
effective prescribing practices and assess clinical outcomes through
educational initiatives, administrative programs to restrict ordering practices,
the use of formularies and prescribing guidelines, and financial
incentives. There are data to show that P&T committee actions are useful.
4. How are drug use guidelines incorporated into the formulary management
process?

Drug use guidelines will supply additional information on how certain drugs
are to be used or administered. Thus incorporating this in the formulary
process would aid much in the tasks of physicians and pharmacists.
43 Zuniga, Angel Leo M. 2F-PH

Chapter 5

1. What are the differences between providing basic information about a

medication to a patient at the time of dispensing and true counseling of a
patient to enhance medication outcomes.

The basic information being provide by a pharmacist upon dispensing only

includes how frequent the medication must be taken, number of days the
medication must be taken, dose of the medication when taken, how the
medication must be taken and sometimes when must the medication be
taken may it be after meals or before. While in counseling a patient, a
pharmacist may know the historical background of a patient thus enabling
him/her to advise the patient properly on what or how to take the medication.
It is also through counseling where a pharmacist can offer tips on how to
enhance drug performance. For example, they may advice the patient on
what food to take and to avoid in order to acquire the full effects of the drug.

2. If a number of clinical pharmacy services have been shown to improve

patient care, why hasnt there been development of structures to pay
pharmacists for these services or to have sufficient number of pharmacists to
provide the services in all settings?

Even though there are improvement in patient care through the service of
clinical pharmacy, most of the hospital lack resources and the ones that have
clinical pharmacy are the big hospitals only.

3. What do you think needs to happen within and outside of the profession for it
to move toward a greater role in clinical practice?

I think we need to be more creative on how we will be talking/counselling

people on how to use the said medications. We must practice how deal with
different types of people and know the limitations of your words. We must
make them feel that we are here to help them.