Improving Online Drug Information: Insights from Quality Evaluation and Pharmaceutical System Design

PTB Reports,2021,7,2,53-60.DOI:10.5530/PTB.2021.7.10Published:September 2021Type:Review ArticleAuthors:Yousef Ahmed Alomi, Hanin Sumaydan Saleam Aljohani, and Arub Abdullah Batil Albatil Author(s) affiliations:Yousef Ahmed Alomi* BSc. Pharm, MSc. Clin Pharm, BCPS, BCNSP, DiBA, CDE Critical Care Clinical Pharmacists TPN Clinical Pharmacist, Freelancer Business Planner, Content Editor, and Data Analyst, Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA. Hanin Sumaydan Saleam Aljohani Ministry of Health, Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA. Arub Abdullah Batil Albatil Majmaah University, College of Dentistry Faculty of Dentistry at Al Zulfi Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA. Abstract:Objectives: All healthcare professionals necessity to improve and update their medical and pharmaceutical knowledge, including dentists. There are numerous types of dental medications, including drug information website resources. The current review is to reconnoiter references websites of medications in the dental care. Methods: It is a literature review of a drug information website for dentists. Probing was done in PubMed and Medline about this field. The search encompassed all study designs but was not limited to the observation study, clinical trial, meta-analysis and systemic, and review articles. The current topic debated the market assessment demand, team and cost management of the project, quality and risk management of the project. It was rationalized on selected dental drug websites designed with medications coverage, frequency updated, and responsible publisher. Results: More than 13 drug information websites for dental practice had been intended. The websites consisted of free governmental or healthcare organizations websites highlighting international medications regulation or local drug regulatory affairs with mobile applications format. Free non-governmental drug information website entailed of drug therapy as part of disease management and other medication patient education websites. All websites of dental drug information resources should be measured undergraduate and postgraduate dental practitioners. Conclusion: Dental drug information resources website is real-world and more accessible than other resources. Therefore, implementation of the current project is highly recommended for dental colleges and healthcare organizations. Keywords:Dental, Drug, Information, Resources, Saudi Arabia, WebsitesView:PDF (208.56 KB) PDF PDF Images Dental Drug Information Websites Resources: New Initiative Project in Saudi Arabia

The purpose of this survey was to evaluate customer satisfaction with the services provided by the Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (Roche) Drug Information and Safety Department, and to identify the department’s strengths and areas for improvement. Bilingual surveys (English or French) were sent to 100 hospital pharmacists, 100 community pharmacists, 100 physicians, and 30 drug information centers randomly selected from a list of all inquiries made between November 1, 1996 and February 27, 1997. A slightly different version of the survey was sent to 125 Roche sales representatives. The response rate was 51.2%. Respondents reported a high level of overall satisfaction with Roche drug information services. In general, there was a good correlation between customer needs and customer satisfaction with the services offered. Areas of strength were identified as courtesy of personnel, accuracy, and relevance to the inquiry. The major area for improvement was found to be response time. Strategies for improvement include expanding the range of topics available through the “Fax on Demand” system, raising customer awareness of this system, streamlining the process of handling information requests, and using a drug information website with an externally accessible database to reduce the workload of the Roche Drug Information and Safety Department.

In today’s world, evolution of computer technology appears to outpace all other innovations. Arguably it is those institutions, organisations and individuals who keep up with technological advancements that stay abreast of the field in today’s competitive society. Traditionally, health care providers have used textbooks, formularies, compendia, guidelines and more recently online databases to access drug information. A large and rapid increase in medications over the years makes the provision of up-to-date drug information in a timely and costeffective manner a challenge. The personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld computing device also known as the palmtop computer, can greatly improve access to drug information, particularly at the point of delivery. The PDAs can support workflow, allow instant access to drug information and enable realtime access to health care data anytime and anywhere [1, 2]. In the USA, some pharmacy and medical schools have adopted this technology for teaching purposes [3–5]. In Kuwait, the Faculty of Pharmacy, Kuwait University, has acquired PDAs for all final-year pharmacy students. Students find these devices useful and convenient for accessing drug information, particularly during rotations in hospitals with clinicians. For practising pharmacists, PDAs can help document a variety of clinical activities in the patient care setting. This is more important for clinical pharmacists who spend much of their time identifying, solving and preventing drug-related problems. Considering their busy working schedules, medical doctors could benefit substantially. Basic features of a PDA drug reference database include the ability to search for a drug from a generic, trade or partial name, or from the drug’s therapeutic classification or use. Dosing information, pharmacokinetic parameters, drug interaction, side-effects and contra-indication screening are also available. Other useful clinical applications of PDAs include the ability to perform calculations such as ideal body weight and creatinine clearance. Customisation of databases such as the addition of local drug lists is possible. For instance, we have added the Kuwait Drug List to the PDAs allocated to our pharmacy students. For users to be able to store and retrieve drug information, the PDA requires software. Examples of drug information software include ePocrates, LexiDrugs, Apothecarium and the Tarascon ePharmacopoeia. ePocrates can be downloaded from the Worldwide Web free of charge.

Websites offering drug information vary in coverage and quality, and most health care consumers are poorly equipped to assess the quality of internet medication information. To establish a webliography of recommended prescription medication information websites for health care consumers and providers. Drug information websites were systematically identified based on recommendations from health professionals and text-word searches of MEDLINE and Google. The resulting sample of websites was evaluated in a 2-step process. Candidate websites were first screened using inclusion/exclusion criteria representing minimum information requirements. Websites that passed the inclusion/exclusion criteria were then rated on 16 quality criteria using a 5-point scale by 3 trained judges. Website ratings were averaged, then multiplied by the corresponding importance weight of each criterion and summed to generate a total score. Websites with the highest total scores were included in the webliography. Ten websites were selected for inclusion in the webliography. The 3 highest-scoring websites were Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield (http://home.anthemhealth.com/topic/drugcenter), U.S. National Library of Medicine (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html), and Healthvision (http://www.yourhealthinformation.com/library/healthguide/en-us/drugguide/default.htm). Medication information websites vary widely in quality and content. The online webliography is a valuable and easily accessed tool that can be recommended by health care professionals to patients who request referral to reliable websites.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to list the resources that Iranian health-care professionals used to access drug-related information, to know the features and types of drug information resources which were much more important for health-care professionals, the problems they encountered in seeking drug information and the way they organized and re-found the information that they had retrieved. Drug-related queries are one of the most common types of questions in medical settings. Design/methodology/approach – This was a descriptive-analytical study conducted in Iran during 2014. The data collection tool was a self-designed questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used to analyse the data and examine the research hypothesis. Findings – Participants used books, drug manuals, search engines and medical databases more frequently, and less than half of them consulted colleagues to acquire drug-related information for clinical, educational and research purposes. Handheld computers were used by most participants to access and store drug information. Lack of access to drug information and lack of enough time were the main obstacles in seeking drug information. A significant association (p value = 0.024) was detected between organizing and re-finding information for future uses. Originality/value – This study investigated drug information-seeking behaviours of health-care professionals and the way they managed this information in a developing country that lacks necessary information technology infrastructures. Training programmes are required to help health-care professionals to find and access reliable and up-to-date drug information resources and to more easily re-find the found drug information for future uses.

The role of drug information centers to improve medication safety in Saudi Arabia - a study from healthcare professionals' perspective

Background: Due to the huge number of drugs available and the rapid growth and change in drug information, healthcare professionals, especially physicians, frequently require reliable, easily accessible, rapid, and accurate reference sources to obtain the necessary drug information. Several sources of information are available for physicians to use and select from; however, the information-seeking behaviour of healthcare providers is varied, and this process can be challenging. Objectives: In this study, Jordanian physicians were approached to evaluate the drug information they require, the sources of information they use, the perceived credibility of the sources, and the challenges they face when searching for the most accurate and current information about drugs. Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional study. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to practising physicians in Jordan using a convenience sampling method (purposive sampling followed by snowball sampling) regardless of their speciality, age, gender, seniority, or place of employment. Results: Three hundred and eighty physicians participated in the study. Most participants responded that they performed drug information searches on a weekly (155, 40.8%) or a daily basis (150, 39.5%). The drug-related information that physicians most frequently searched for concerned dosage regimens and adverse drug events. The majority of surveyed doctors (97.9%) reported using online websites to acquire drug information; UpToDate®, Medscape and Drugs.com were the most frequently used online databases, although many participants did not consider online sources to be the most reliable source. The most prevalent and recurrent challenges encountered concerned an inability to access subscription-only journals and websites (56.6%), difficulty identifying trusted and credible sources (41.8%) and the enormous number of available sources (35.3%). However, these challenges were less of a problem for physicians who currently work or have previously worked in academia (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that Jordanian physicians frequently use online websites to look for drug information and all doctors face challenges throughout this process particularly those with no experience in academia. This suggests that being in academia makes the process of information-seeking easier which highlights the need for academics to transfer their knowledge and experience to their non-academic colleagues and the upcoming generations of physicians.

Handheld computers (HHCs) such as smartphones and tablets are providing a variety of drug information (DI) applications to assist pharmacists' decision making in the clinical and hospital setting. However, little is known about the extent of their use among Malaysian pharmacists. The current study aimed to assess the use of electronic DI resources via HHCs by pharmacists in Malaysia. This study also aimed to investigate the pharmacists' perception toward the DI content and functions of mobile medical applications. A convenience sampling method was adopted to invite pharmacists (N = 450) working in various sectors such as hospitals, the drug approval authority, and academia to participate in this online survey. A 36-item questionnaire was administered, and data were summarized and presented using descriptive statistics. The response rate to this survey was 49.8% (n = 224). Overall, 213 respondents (95.1%) were active HHCs users in their daily clinical practice. About 194 respondents (86.6%) disclosed that they often use HHCs for searching DI. Dosage recommendations (n = 198; 88.4%), adverse drug reactions (n = 153; 68.3%), and drug interactions (n = 146; 65.2%) were the most common DI retrieved. Meanwhile, general dosage recommendation, pediatric dosage recommendations and dosage recommendations for renal failure were ranked as the most important DI in mobile medical applications. Gaining access to the latest information on drugs and clinical practice were regarded as the most important functions of the mobile medical app. The use of HHCs for DI among pharmacists in Malaysia was high. The use of locally produced DI sources is still low compared to overseas sources. The most popular applications used for drug-related medical information were Micromedex, followed by Lexicomp and Medscape.

Letters

Background and aim In Indonesia, the adoption of digital game-based education in pharmacy education is still limited. This study evaluates the impact of Pharmatopia, a digital game-based learning (GBL) developed by Monash University, on third-year pharmacy undergraduate students’ understanding and perceptions of solid pharmaceutical dosage form courses at Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Andalas. By exploring its effectiveness, we aim to address the gap in GBL adoption in Indonesian pharmacy education and provide recommendations for its integration. Intervention Students accessed Pharmatopia via the university’s Moodle platform, engaging in a one-hour autonomous activity simulating direct compression tablet manufacturing. A survey using a 5-point Likert scale was used to evaluate student perceptions of Pharmatopia in learning solid pharmaceutical dosage form design. Methods The study involved 120 students, with mixed methods to measure their understanding of tablet formulation optimization and excipient functionality. A sample of 27 students were asked to complete both pre-test and post-test assessments. Results between pre-test and post-test were analyzed using paired t test. Results and Discussion A Likert-scale survey revealed positive student perceptions with an average mean score of 4.4. Most students agree that Pharmatopia improved their understanding of tablet manufacturing and excipient roles and recommend its integration into the curriculum. Pre-test and post-test results showed improvement in average scores from 46% to 96% ( p &lt; 0.05), indicating enhanced understanding of tablet formulation processes. Pharmatopia enhances pharmacy students’ understanding of tablet formulation and fosters positive perceptions of GBL. Qualitative feedback highlighted increases in engagement and motivation. Limitation of this study are limited prior exposure to digital learning tools and the absence of a control group. Recommendations include broader implementation of GBL in pharmacy education and further studies with control groups to validate efficacy.

Exploring the effect of peer assessment on final exam scores and pharmacy students' perspectives towards peer assessment in laboratory practice.

Eco Enzymes can accelerate biochemical reactions to produce enzymes that break down fruit or vegetable waste. It was from this waste is one way of waste management that utilizes kitchen scraps to produce beneficial liquids. Community service was conducted in the Limau Manis Village of Padang City. Pre-tests and post-tests in the form of questions were conducted to assess the community's understanding of the Eco Enzyme material provided. Educational materials about the theory and importance of the Eco Enzyme product were provided by a lecturer in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the Faculty of Pharmacy at Universitas Andalas regarding its uses and the products that can be sold. The theory material was made into a booklet and given to participants to take home and read again. Direct practice was conducted on making Eco Enzyme from orange peel waste obtained from fruit sellers. The T-Test results obtained a t-value of -5.047 with a p-value of 0.0001 (smaller than the alpha of 0.05). This value shows that this community service activity significantly improves the community's understanding of Eco Enzyme. In the future, an Eco Enzyme product in the form of a liquid that can be used will be obtained.

The utilization of Arabic online drug information among adults in Saudi Arabia

A 39-item survey instrument was distributed to faculty and students at Wingate University School of Pharmacy to assess student and faculty drug information (DI) resource use and access preferences. The response rate was 81% (n = 289). Faculty and professional year 2 to 4 students preferred access on laptop or desktop computers (67% and 75%, respectively), followed by smartphones (27% and 22%, respectively). Most faculty and students preferred using Lexicomp Online for drug information (53% and 74%, respectively). Results indicate that DI resources use is similar between students and faculty; laptop or desktop computers are the preferred platforms for accessing drug information.

Bridge construction quality inspection and evaluation systems previously developed have been no more than just conventional management information systems, in which no mapping or sophisticated visual analysis capabilities are supported or even considered, not to mention network connectivity, especially Internet access. To address the problem, it is herein presented a WEBGIS-based quality inspection and evaluation system for bridge construction, applicable to not only simply-supported, old-fashioned bridges like arches, girders, etc., but also complex bridges like suspension, cable stayed, and other bridges with unique characteristics. Great efforts have been made to incorporate into the system the features like: real-time visualization, online spatial queries, comprehensive analysis, damage pattern recognition, decision making, and so on. The objective of this study is to demonstrate various new possibilities that Internet and GIS technology could bring to bridge construction quality inspection and evaluation, through the design and implementation of the Shenyang WEBGIS-based quality inspection and evaluation system for bridge construction.