Medicines information services in a resource-limited setting

In resource-limited settings, it is particularly important to explore the priorities for, as well as barriers to, development of health services. There has been limited development of medicines information (MI) services in Vietnam despite national guidelines.

To explore the current status of MI services for healthcare professionals and patients in Vietnamese hospitals.

In 2018, all hospitals which were under the direct administration of the Ministry of Health and all 63 Provincial Health Bureaus were invited to participate (n = 1359). All national, provincial and district hospitals, as well as private hospitals and hospitals from other Ministries in Vietnam, were included. An online questionnaire about MI facilities, workforce, and activities was used.

There were 560 eligible responses from pharmacists in hospitals. The most common MI service was pharmacovigilance (provided in 91% of hospitals), and the least common was providing MI for clinical case management (30%), nurse training (31%), and MI provision to patients (27%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the number of pharmacists and the geographical-economical area where hospitals were based had the strongest impact on the likelihood of offering more MI services in hospitals. While the type of hospital (traditional medicine vs. other hospitals) had some impact, hospital size, level, and specialization of hospital (general vs. specialized) did not have a significant impact on the provision of MI services.

The differences in workforce and location may contribute to differences in MI practices between hospitals. These findings are relevant for the implementation of a national MI strategy in Vietnam and other developing countries.