[india-drug] Drug Use indicators in Karnataka

[Aruna Setty <arunasetty@hotmail.com>]

Drug Use indicators in Karnataka
---------------------------------


Dear India Drug participants,				

The Karnataka Health System Development Project, as a step to promote
Rational Use of drugs has currently undertaken a study to investigate
drug use in the public sector health facilities. A random sample of
forty four health facilities has been included in the study. The
facilities have been randomized so as to have equal representation of
hospitals of various bed strengths (30, 50, 100, 250+ beds) and from
all the divisions in Karnataka. Data collection forms for the
Prescribing Indicators, availability of key drugs, stock out duration
and adequate storage, developed by the World Health Organization as a
part of the Core drug use indicator have been distributed to the
in-house pharmacists for data collection.

I have been involved in the study since the training of the data
collectors. As a student from Boston University School of Public
Health, this has provided me with a rich learning experience, while
allowing me to serve my home country. During our data collection
monitoring trip to the health facilities, there were a few observations
that caught our attention and would like to present my thoughts in a
series of mailings to the experts in the field for their feedback,
comments and advice. 

OBSERVATION 2:  
The ?Pharmacy Act? as early as 1948 was passed as an effort to regulate
the profession of Pharmacy. This step was a sheer indication that
Pharmacists were to be a part of the inter-disciplinary team working
towards the betterment of public Health. A number of reports in
Karnataka, since 1966, have addressed the importance of drug management
through qualified pharmacists. During our field visit the underuse /
misuse of pharmacists in some facilities was evident. Some of the
observations have been as follows:
1.	Under staffing of the pharmacists? positions.
2.	Lack of communication between the medical staff and Pharmacy staff.
3.	Low Self ? Esteem due to not being recognized as a part of the team,
not able to voice their opinion to the medical staff with respect to
the selection of drugs etc.
4.	Pharmacists not trained appropriately to understand the importance
and logic of maintaining Stocks.
5.	Workable office space, needed stationery for stock keeping and good
storage area not provided.
6.	Non Pharmacy responsibilities bestowed to pharmacists in the absence
of clerical staff.
Should the technical training of the pharmacists be fully utilized
cost-effectively, the argument that the above under comings have to be
addressed would be supported by the hospitals administrators. Changing
the entire system at one stretch may not seem practical, but there may
have been efforts undertaken within the facilities to address the above
issues. Learning your experiences may help us and direct us ???   

Acknowledgements to KHSDP, Smt C. Sunitha Srinivas and Dr. H. Sudarshan
for all the support and help extended.

Thanking You,
Warm Regards
Aruna Setty

ARUNA SETTY
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH 
arunasetty@hotmail.com  




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