Drug Information and Safety Flashcards

What are the primary, secondary, and tertiary drug information resources?

Answer: Primary: original research (clinical trials); Secondary: indexing services (PubMed); Tertiary: textbooks and compendia (Micromedex, Lexicomp)

Primary sources are original research articles (randomized controlled trials, cohort studies). Secondary sources index and abstract primary literature (PubMed, Embase). Tertiary sources synthesize information (Micromedex, Lexicomp, drug handbooks, review articles, clinical guidelines).

How should a pharmacist evaluate a clinical trial for drug information purposes?

Answer: Assess study design, population, sample size, endpoints, statistical significance, clinical significance, bias, and applicability to the clinical question

Critical appraisal evaluates: study design (RCT > observational), population (relevant to your patient?), sample size (adequate power?), primary endpoints (clinically meaningful?), statistical vs. clinical significance, potential bias, funding source, and applicability to the specific clinical scenario.

What is the pharmacist's role in medication safety event analysis?

Answer: Conduct root cause analysis to identify system failures, recommend preventive measures, and implement safety improvements

Pharmacists participate in root cause analysis (RCA) using a systems approach (not blame). They identify contributing factors (workflow, staffing, technology, communication), recommend system improvements (automation, double checks, clinical decision support), and monitor effectiveness of changes.

What is a formulary and what is the pharmacist's role in formulary management?

Answer: An institution's approved list of medications, managed by the Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee with pharmacist input on evidence-based drug selection

The formulary is the hospital's approved medication list. Pharmacists serve on the P&T Committee, evaluating drug efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness for formulary inclusion/exclusion, developing usage criteria, managing therapeutic substitution protocols, and conducting formulary reviews.

What is the purpose of a Tall Man Lettering system in medication safety?

Answer: Using capital letters to highlight differences between look-alike/sound-alike drug names to prevent confusion errors

Tall Man Lettering differentiates look-alike/sound-alike (LASA) drug names by capitalizing distinguishing portions: hydrOXYzine vs. hydrALAzine, DOBUTamine vs. DOPamine, predniSONE vs. prednisoLONE. This is a recommended ISMP safety strategy adopted in Saudi hospitals.

How should a pharmacist respond to a drug information request from a healthcare professional?

Answer: Systematically: gather background, classify the question, search appropriate resources, evaluate evidence, formulate a response, and document the interaction

Systematic DI approach: gather background (patient details, clinical context), classify the question type, search appropriate resources (tertiary → secondary → primary), critically evaluate the evidence, formulate a balanced response with references, communicate the answer, and document the interaction.