Selected topics in drug information access and practice: an update

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Drug Information Science

Background:

• The field of drug information is crucial for all pharmacy practitioners.
• Effective literature utilization should extend beyond specialized personnel.
• Pharmacists require knowledge of diverse information sources, including digital formats.

Purpose of the Study:

• To emphasize the importance of broad literature access for pharmacists.
• To define the roles of drug information specialists in supporting practitioners.
• To advocate for enhanced critical evaluation and patient outcome initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of current practices in drug information.
• Analysis of the expanding role of digital resources (CD-ROMs, online databases).
• Discussion of essential skills for all pharmacists and specialists.

Main Results:

• Pharmacists must be proficient with various drug information resources.
• Drug information specialists are key facilitators and educators.
• Development of drug use evaluation (DUE) and adverse event monitoring is vital.

Conclusions:

• All pharmacists require baseline critical literature evaluation skills.
• Drug information specialists should foster these skills and aid in study analysis.
• Collaborative efforts are needed to optimize patient outcomes through DUE and monitoring programs.