Workshop On Drug Use Ends On Positive Note
By Zasika Musdi

Bandar Seri Begawan - "Normative interventions, which include the establishment of a Drug Therapeutics Committee and dissemination of guidelines, alone would not solve the problem. These have to be combined with proactive and innovative interventions that focus on and address the specific problem."

This was highlighted by Dr Hj Affendy POKSM DSP Hj Abidin, the Ministry of Health's Director General of Medical Services, in his address during yesterday's closing ceremony for the "Strengthening Drug and Therapeutic Committee to Improve Medical Use in Hospitals" workshop, held at the Civil Service Institute in Rimba.

The Ministry of Health had long ago established the Drug Advisory Committee, with its technical subcommittee, the Drug and Therapeutics Committee. These committees may have different functions, but have the same goal: to promote rational drug use.

According to Dr Hj Affendy, there are many challenges that these committees have to face in improving drug use. Unbiased selection of cost-effective medicine into any of the Ministry's Drug List also needs to be advocated and sustained.

In effect, the magnitude of any identified problems of medicine uses needs to be properly assessed. Furthermore, Dr Hj Affendy stated that any standard treatment guidelines developed and distributed need to be accompanied by training, audit and feedback.

In this way, indiscriminate prescribing can be reduced, and he hoped that with the era of e-health and e-prescribing, any rational medicine use can be monitored more effectively.

The issue of adverse drug reactions should also bead dressed on a regular basis to ensure public safety. Doctors and pharmacists are encouraged to actively report any ADRs, and patients should be educated about the importance of reporting side effects of medicine that they have been prescribed.

Touching on patient empowerment, Dr Hj Affendy said that public education regarding their medicine can reduce irrational use and is shown to be effective; for example, compliance with their therapy, not expecting to be prescribed medicine for every consultation, and reductions in poly-pharmacy.

Strategies such as these, according to Dr Hj Affendy, would be supported by the Ministry of Health, as they improve the safety and quality use of medicine for the public. The interest shown by the Minister and Permanent Secretary in the workshop indicated that changes must soon be made.

Change is inevitable, Dr Hj Affendy concluded, but it needs to improve and add value to the society as a whole.

A number of WHO Consultants were also present during the workshop; namely, Regional Advisor in Pharmaceuticals Dr Budiono Santoso, representative of the Western Pacific Regional office, Dr Sri Suryawati, as well as Dr Edelisa Daisy Carandang and other senior officers. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

Click Here To Have Your Say On This Story

Brudirect.com News

Brunei's Fastest Growing Website with