Pharmacy Division
Introduction
The role of pharmacists has been greatly changed by the recent developments
in computer technology, the revision of medical law, and the introduction
of the medical fee. The Pharmacy Division is endeavoring to ensure proper
drug usage and to support improvement of patients' quality of life through
our daily pharmaceutical practice.
When the new GCP was put into effect in April 1998, the Clinical Research Control Room was newly established in our hospital. Consequently, pharmacists are expected not only to manage investigational drugs but also to play the role of clinical research coordinator.
Routine Activities
As a matter of course, pharmaceutical care is the basis of all works
of pharmacists. We also give bedside advice on taking medicine to inpatients,
including those in the Palliative Care Unit, as a part of our clinical activities.
Pharmacists explain to patients the name of drugs, usage, quantity,
effectiveness, and reasons for caution and possible side effects. It is important
for patients to fully understand why they have to take the medicines prescribed
for them. We also provide drug information as a leaflet for outpatients at
the request of doctors.
We provide a computerized drug information system for the medical staff.
We also send out information about important side effects, new drug adoptions,
and drug deletions via email.
Aseptic preparation of IVH for both in- and outpatients and of anti-cancer
agents for outpatients at the chemotherapy day care center are other important
daily activities in the division. In particular, IVH for outpatients strongly
supports cancer treatment or care at home. Because of the increase in outpatient
treatment of some types of cancers, we prepare more anti-cancer agents each
year.
New Developments
When the Clinical Research Control Room was founded, two pharmacists
were assigned to that facility as CRC. While studying the curriculum, CRC
pharmacists are also preparing guidance materials on the use of investigational
drugs, in accordance with the standard operating procedure of the new GCP.
With the cooperation of the CRC staff, our Pharmacy Division is better able
to manage investi-gational drugs.
In 2000, and automatic dispensing system for injections will be introduced.
When a prescription is ordered, the system will produce a patient's label
and automatically set various kinds of injections in every prescription. We
hope that this system will help the Pharmacy Division as well as other divisions
concerned with improving pharmaceutical activities.
|
Number
of Prescription |
||
|
1998 |
1999 |
|
|
Prepared
in hospital pharmacy |
||
|
Total |
95,406 |
95,640 |
|
Inpatients |
55,477 |
54,274 |
|
Outpatients |
39,929 |
41,366 |
|
Taken
to outside pharmacies |
24 |
46 |
|
(%
of prescription filled outside) |
(0.06%) |
(0.11%) |
|
Injections |
||
|
Total |
121,319 |
140,038 |
|
Inpatients |
113,446 |
129,854 |
|
Outpatients |
7,873 |
10,184 |
|
Aseptic
Preparation of Injection Mixture |
||
|
1998 |
1999 |
|
|
IVH
preparations |
8,301 |
7,325 |
|
Anticancer
drugs |
5,843 |
5,288 |
|
Others |
1,923 |
2,642 |
|
IVH,
intravenous hyperalimentation. |
||
|
Number
of House Preparations |
||
|
1998 |
1999 |
|
|
Sterilized |
32 |
52 |
|
Nonsterilized |
162 |
172 |
|
Investigational
Drugs Used |
||
|
1998 |
1999 |
|
|
Newly
registered |
11 |
20 |
|
Ongoing
studies |
18 |
27 |
|
Prescriptions |
1,478 |
742 |
|
Amounts
of Drugs Consumed |
||||
|
1998 |
(%) |
1999 |
(%) |
|
|
Total
consumption |
1,963,990 |
100.00 |
2,114,370 |
100.00 |
|
Internal/external
medicines |
451,347 |
22.98 |
484,601 |
22.92 |
|
Injections |
842,967 |
42.92 |
918,831 |
43.46 |
|
Blood |
124,277 |
6.33 |
114,134 |
5.40 |
|
X-ray |
210,566 |
10.72 |
213,159 |
10.08 |
|
RI |
67,543 |
3.44 |
75,433 |
3.57 |
|
Others |
267,290 |
13.61 |
308,212 |
14.57 |
|
Unit:
1,000 yen |
(K. TAKADA)
