@article {229, title = {National Survey of Pharmacokinetic Services in Saudi Arabia: Perceptions and Barriers of Service Implementations}, journal = {International Journal of Pharmacology and Clinical Sciences}, volume = {8}, year = {2019}, month = {September 2019}, pages = {194-198}, type = {Research Article}, chapter = {194}, abstract = {

Objectives: To explore the pharmacokinetic services at the Ministry of Health (MOH) hospitals in Saudi Arabia with an emphasis on perceptions and barriers of service implementation. Methods: This is a 2-month cross-sectional national survey of pharmacokinetic services with a focus on pharmacy management and resources at MOH hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The study consisted of two parts: the first part collected demographic information and the second part consisted of 43 questions divided into three domains. The questions were derived from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) guidelines and from the literature. We used 5-point Likert response scale system with close-ended questions to obtain responses. An electronic questionnaire was distributed to the coordinators of the clinical pharmacy services or drug information centers at MOH hospitals and it analyzed the perceptions and barriers of pharmacokinetic service implementations section through the Survey Monkey system. Results: A total of 43 hospital pharmacies responded to the questionnaire, with the response rate of 86\%. The majority of pharmacokinetic services were provided to the adult patients (37 (86.05\%)) followed by the pediatric and geriatric patients (19 (44.19\%) and 13 (30.23\%), respectively) with most of the responding hospitals having less than 20 beds (23 (53.5\%)). The categories with most of the barriers of pharmacokinetic service implementation were lack of knowledge (20 (64.52\%)), lack of pharmacokinetic education (16 (51.61\%)) and lack of an expert pharmacist in pharmacokinetic services (16 (51.61\%)). Most of the responders agreed that clinical pharmacokinetic services were necessary for hospitals (23 (53.5\%)). The responders agreed that the clinical pharmacist through pharmacokinetic services had a positive financial impact and cost avoidance on healthcare system (23 (53.5\%)). Most of the responders stated that pharmacokinetic services improve the safety and efficacy of patient care (33 (89.2\%)). Most of the responders agreed that the pharmacokinetic services improved patients{\textquoteright} clinical outcome (33 (89.2\%)) and prevented drug-related problems (33 (89.2\%)), whereas few of the pharmacokinetic services were provided only 10 (29.4\%) over 24 hr per day. Conclusion: Despite the positive attitude of hospital management toward pharmacokinetic services, there was a lack of education and training regarding the same at MOH hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Revision of strategic planning of pharmacokinetic services with regard to their improvement and implementation are required at all MOH hospitals in Saudi Arabia.

}, keywords = {Barriers Ministry of Health, Perceptions, Pharmacokinetics, Saudi Arabia}, doi = {10.5530/ijpcs.2019.8.33}, author = {Yousef Ahmed Alomi and Ban Abdullah Aldosary and Rasha Abdelsalam Elshenawy} } @article {39, title = {National Survey of the Pharmacokinetics Services at the Ministry of Health Hospitals in Saudi Arabia: Prescribing and Dispensing Medication}, journal = {International Journal of Pharmacology and Clinical Sciences}, volume = {8}, year = {2019}, month = {January 2019}, pages = {11-16}, type = {Research Article}, chapter = {11}, abstract = {

Objectives: To explore the pharmacokinetics services at the Ministry of Health (MOH) hospitals in Saudi Arabia with an emphasis on prescribing and dispensing medication. Methods: This is a 2-month crosssectional national survey of pharmacokinetics services. The study consisted of two parts: the first part captures demographic information and the second part is a questionnaire with 43 questions divided into three domains. The questions are derived from the guidelines of the American Society of Health- System Pharmacists (ASHP) and from the literature. We used the 5-point Likert response scale system to obtain responses of the participants; there were close-ended questions. The electronic questionnaire was distributed to all the coordinators of the clinical pharmacy services or to the drug information centers at MOH hospitals, The data were collected through the Survey Monkey system. Results: A total of 43 hospital pharmacies responded to the survey; the response rate was found to be 86\%. The pharmacists and nurses had privileges of prescribing medication as per pharmacokinetics services in nearly 18 (46.15\%) and 16 (41.03\%) hospitals respectively. At 14 (37.84\%) hospitals, pharmacists have the privilege to request an estimation of patient{\textquoteright}s drug levels and at 12 (30.77\%) hospitals, they have the privilege to change drug sampling time. At 15 (38.46\%) hospitals, nurses have the privilege to request an estimation of patient{\textquoteright}s drug level and at 12 (31.58\%) hospitals, they have the privilege to change drug sampling time. The commonly prescribed medications via pharmacokinetics consultation were gentamicin (23 (71.88\%)), phenytoin (23 (71.88\%)), carbamazepine (22 (70.97\%)), sodium valproate (22 (70.97\%)) and warfarin (22 (70.97\%)). The pharmacokinetics altering system during an electronic prescription was found in 9 (26.5\%) hospital pharmacies and the pharmacist was found to participate in pharmacokinetics research in 8 (23.5\%) hospitals. Conclusion: Healthcare providers including the pharmacists and nurses have a significant role in providing pharmacokinetics services to the patients. Expanding these services with standard guidelines and the electronic prescription is required in order to prevent drug- Pharmacokinetics related problems, improve the clinical outcome of the patient and reduce the economic burden.

}, keywords = {Dispensing, Medication, Ministry of Health, Pharmacokinetics, Prescribing, Saudi Arabia}, doi = {10.5530/ijpcs.2019.8.3}, author = {Yousef Ahmed Alomi and Rasha Abdelsalam Elshenawy} } @article {24, title = {National Survey of the Pharmacokinetics Services at Ministry of Health Hospitals in Saudi Arabia: Pharmacy Management Practice}, journal = {International Journal of Pharmacology and Clinical Sciences}, volume = {7}, year = {2018}, month = {November 2018}, pages = {4-10}, type = {Research Article}, chapter = {4}, abstract = {

Objectives: To explore the pharmacokinetics services at Ministry of Health (MOH) hospitals in Saudi Arabia with an emphasis on pharmacy management practice. Methods: This is a 2-month cross-sectional national survey related to the pharmacokinetics services with a focus on pharmacy management and resources at MOH hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The study consisted of two parts: the first part gathers demographic information and the second part contained 43 questions divided into four domains that were derived from the guidelines of the American Society of Health- System Pharmacists and from the literature. We used the 5-point Likert response scale system to obtain the responses of the participants, which consisted of closeended questions. An electronic questionnaire was distributed to the coordinators of all the clinical pharmacy services or drug information centers at MOH hospitals; it captures the data regarding education and training through a Survey Monkey system. Results: There were 43 total responders from hospital pharmacies; the response rate was found to be 86\%. The majority of pharmacokinetics services were provided to the adult patients (37 (86.05\%)) followed by the pediatric and geriatric patients (19 (44.19\%) and 13 (30.23\%) respectively, with most of the hospitals covering less than 20 beds (23 (53.5\%)). Most of the pharmacokinetics services were provided through inpatient pharmacy (27 (62.79\%), outpatient pharmacy and through discharge (9 (20.93\%)). Most of the administration and management sections of the pharmacokinetics services were with the mission of pharmacokinetics services (68.8\%) followed by the total quality management (67.6\%) and policy and procedures (64.8\%), whereas the least of the administration of pharmacokinetics services was found in the annual pharmacokinetics plan (60\%), the pharmacokinetics strategic plan and pharmacokinetics technician competency (62.6\%). Conclusion: Although there is a daily demand for the pharmacokinetics services, only one-third of the hospitals had pharmacokinetics services to offer. Implementing the MOH pharmacokinetics services strategy is required at all MOH hospitals in Saudi Arabia.

}, keywords = {Management, Ministry of Health, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacy resources, Saudi Arabia}, doi = {10.5530/ijpcs.2018.7.3}, author = {Yousef Ahmed Alomi and Rasha Abdelsalam Elshenawy} }