Effectiveness of Encouraged Rational Drug Use in Cheunchom Hospital

Abstract

The Ministry of Public Health has announced a policy for all hospitals to encourage rational drug use in accordance with the prescribed criteria. The performance of Chuen Chom Hospital has not yet met the criteria. This study aimed to develop a model to promote rational drug use in Chuenchom Hospital. Duration of study 1 October 2016 – 30 September 2019. Participants of the study were the menbers of hospital multidisciplinary team. The study procedure used the PAOR process and conducted in 3 circles. The first cycle analyzed the situate to identify drug use problems through brainstorming workshop with the Pharmacy and Therapeutic Committee (PTC) board. Subsequent activities included restoring the data, designing development activities based on the 6-key point, preparing drug policy standards announcement to promote drug prescribing ethics, providing rational drug use training, developing drug label innovations, making a rational drug use guide, performing reflection activities every 3 months. For the second cycle, the problems in the first cycle were reviewed. Additional job development activities in this cycle was the analyisi of the problem from prescribing antibiotics with monthly reports. The third cycle began by reviewing the problems in the second cycle. Additional activities included the development of a pop-up lab alert in the program HOSxP, and creation of a system to consult the use of metformin. Evaluatuion of the model by using 20 performance indicators compariing the outcomes of each fiscal year from 2017 to 2019 revealed that Cheunchom hospital had passed all criteria of all the 3 steps specified by the Ministry of Public Health. Positive outcomes include the reduction of drug expenditure and the safety of drug use among special groups of patients. The key success depends on the performance of the hospital PTC Board in setting the drug policy and the participation from multi-disciplinary sectors in implementing the model.