STRUCTURING A DRUG INFORMATION SERVICES (DIS) IN A HOSPITAL AT RIO GRANDE DO NORTE STATE, BRAZIL

Abstract

Drug Information Centers/Drug Information Services are important and useful tools for information related to drugs. The information also is actively disclosed to the population and may contribute to the rational 
use of drugs. In 2017, a Drug Information Service was implanted at  Hospital Regional Dr Mariano Coelho in Currais Novos, RN. This study aimed to evaluate the information provided by this Service after 19 
months of operation. Therefore, a cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory study was carried out on the Service database, whose information requests were received between April 2017 and November 2018. The information was evaluated from a monthly average of information requests, type of requests, receive mode requests, the profile of the enquirer, information sources utilized to answer to requests and the pharmacological classification of the drugs involved. During the period, 31 requests were received (1.6 requests/month). The majority of them had how the type of request indication of use of drugs (22.6%), were personally received (71.0%) and were requested by multi-professional residents (45.2%). Electronic databases were the most utilized sources to answer to requests (40.0%), and antibiotics of systemic use were the most drugs present in the requests (23.7%). It appears this Service was potentially useful to avoid the irrational use of drugs. Regarding the requested profile of other centres/services, this showed a profile little similar to the others. An additional evaluation of this Service considering other parameters is necessary.