Experience with a clinical pharmacological service in a teaching hospital

The clinical functions of our Pharmacology department involves teaching, research and patient service. Patient service is rendered at two levels. 1. Clinical Pharmacologists: These are medically trained people and one of them is available for 24 hours a day for therapeutic and toxicological consultation, for channeling requests for laboratory aid and for interpretation and distribution of laboratory results. At the time of preparing this report we received an average of 34 consultations per day (1/3 therapeutic, 2/3 toxicological) of which about 38% are personally seen. 2. Laboratory based Pharmacologists: These people have basic training in Pharmacology, Chemistry and Biochemistry and are involved in qualitative and quantitative investigation of body fluids in cases of poisoning and therapeutic problems. A laboratory-based pharmacologist is available for 24 hours per day but clinicians do not have direct access to him but have to channel their requests through the clinical pharmacologist on call. The laboratory handled 2302 specimens of body fluids during 1975 of which about 75% were of a therapeutic and 25% of a toxicological nature.