ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE： To investigate and analyze the current status and existing problems of Chinese patent medicine instructions in outpatient department of our hospital， and to provide suggestions for the improvement of Chinese patent medicine instructions. METHODS： A total of 435 copies of Chinese patent medicines instructions using in the outpatient pharmacy of our hospital were collected in 2018. The labeling of usage and dosage of the instructions and other items were not clear and missing items were analyzed statistically. RESULTS： In 435 copies of drug instructions， unclear usage and dosage included usage and dosage were marked only in grams or milliliters （54 kinds， 12.4％）； daily dosage was not clear （165 kinds， 37.9％）； the words “or follow the doctor’s advice” were involved in drug instructions （86 kinds， 19.8％）； the labeling of usage and dosage for special population were not clear （34 kinds， 7.8％）； medication time was not labeled （365 kinds， 83.9％）. Unclear labeling of other items included unclear drug interaction （121 kinds， 27.8％）， unclear matters needing attention （12 kinds， 2.8％）， unclear ADR （307 kinds， 70.6％）， unclear contraindications （257 kinds， 59.1％） and unclear indications （1 kind， 0.2％）. The missing items included that drug dosage for special population （41 kinds， 94.5％）， pharmacological and toxicological items （305 kinds， 70.1％）， clinical trial data （395 kinds， 90.8％）， storage temperature label （377 kinds， 86.7％）. CONCLUSIONS： Missing items and unclear information on safe medication are common in Chinese patent medicine instructions， which need to be standardized and perfected in order to provide reference for rational drug use and guarantee the safety of drug use in patients.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:To optimize the placement of extra-machine medicines in the automated pharmacy and establish a ra-pid dispensing area to shorten medicine dispensing time. METHODS:12 588 prescriptions made within one week were collected from the outpatient pharmacy of our hospital,in which 29 kinds of extra-machine medicines used frequently were clustered on the basis of Pearson correlation coefficients. The extra-machine medicines used at a higher frequency were arranged in the storage posi-tions near to the medicine dispensing window,and those related to the above-mentioned medicines were stored in the positions adja-cent to them,thereby a rapid dispensing area was established. The effect of the above-said method was evaluated by comparing the time it took for the pharmacist to dispense medicines one week before and after the establishment of the rapid dispensing area. RE-SULTS:29 kinds of extra-machine medicines were clustered into 4 major categories,and stored in 4 positions in the rapid med-icine dispensing area respectively,and then the position codes were assigned. After the rapid dispensing area was established,the average single prescription dispensing time for the pharmacist decreased by about 9 s (40.43 s vs. 31.43 s,P<0.01). CONCLU-SIONS:The establishment of the rapid dispensing area based on cluster analysis method has increased the efficiency of dispensing medicines in the outpatient pharmacy of our hospital.