A method for familiarizing nurses with the hospital formulary.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Hospital formularies contain vital drug information, including costs and policies.
• Nursing staff awareness and utilization of formulary resources were suboptimal.
• Effective communication strategies are needed to bridge knowledge gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a slide-tape audiovisual program in familiarizing nursing staff with the hospital formulary.
• To improve nurses' understanding and utilization of the formulary.

Main Methods:

• Development of a slide-tape audiovisual program detailing formulary contents.
• Pre- and post-presentation knowledge assessment administered to nursing staff.
• Comparison of test scores between nurses who received the training and a control group.

Main Results:

• Nurses who viewed the slide-tape presentation scored significantly higher on formulary knowledge tests.
• Positive subjective feedback was received from nurses regarding the presentation's clarity and usefulness.
• The audiovisual program demonstrated a clear impact on knowledge acquisition.

Conclusions:

• Slide-tape audiovisual programs are an effective method for educating nursing staff about hospital formularies.
• Enhanced formulary awareness is anticipated to lead to more efficient medication management.
• This initiative supports the pharmacy department's role as a key information provider.