ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the utilization of the pharmacist-operated Drug and Poison Information Center (DPIC) services in Pakistan. Methods: All queries from 2015-2017 were retrieved from PharmAssist DPIC database and were retrospectively analyzed. The variables obtained for analysis were call types (drug or poison), type of callers, type of drug queries, and type of poison queries. Results: A total of 2209 queries were analyzed. The highest queries in the year 2015, 2016 and 2017 came from general public as 44.0%, 56.3%, and 80.6%, followed by consultants as 11.4%, 7.3%, 4.4%, general physicians as 7.20%, 3.40%, and 3.85%. Students and interns show least usage with students 2.20%, 2.30%, 0.29% and interns 0.27%, 0.23%, 0.09% in the year 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively. The most frequent queries received at PharmAssist DPIC were related to miscellaneous queries (14.7%), indications (13.6%), strength (13.4%) and drug availability (12.1%). The majority of poison calls were for ingestion (80.3%), followed by animal bite (6.6%), dermal contact (5.5%), injection (2.2%) and inhalation (2.2%). Conclusion: It was concluded that as the awareness of our service enhanced, the utilization also increased. In order to have enhanced usage of the service, more frequent awareness activities need to be performed to have improved patient care.
ABSTRACT
Karachi is the most advanced and populated city of Pakistan with approximately 20 million residents. The good health care practices awareness among health professionals especially use of syringes is an important role player for the control of disease spread by re-use of syringes. A quantitative approach involving a cross sectional survey based study, was carried out among four different categories of health personnel. A total of 200 participants were asked to fill a structured questionnaire (Doctors, Nursing staff, Lab technicians, and graduating health care students with a sample size of 50 for each group). A large proportion of participants were aware of the impact of re-use of disposable syringes and emphasized on the need for proper disposal system existence to eradicate the issue. The study results also showed that about 71 % of the health professionals had awareness on Auto-disable syringes use and around 29% had no knowledge about AD syringes. About 79 % of health care professionals agreed that AD syringe would reduce needle sharing and would help to cut down Hepatitis B, C and HIV.