Name: Rahana Ayessah M.

Calib BSPh-4
School: Universidad de Zamboanga - Pagadian City
Internship Section: Section 7

1.0 List down other examples of print and online drug information resources and describe the kind
of information that may be obtained from such.

According to the National Drug Information Center (NDIC), the other example of a drug
information source is The Remington: The Science & Practice of Pharmacy is a printed
pharmaceutical book that is widely used as a textbook and a reference work on all pharmaceutical
sciences in the world. It contains a primary resource for a wide scope of information related to the
pharmaceutical sciences and to the practice of pharmacy.
Another is the electronic Philippine National Drug Formulary. It is a software application or
program designed to run on handheld computers that contains the information obtained from the printed
version of the Philippine National Drug Formulary 5th edition. The electronic PNDF comprises the routes
of administration and formulation of essential drugs which can possibly prevent medication errors if it
also contained additional drug information such as dosages and adverse effects. Ultimately, the electronic
PNDF aims to provide adequate, up-to-date, and easy-to-use drug information for physicians and other
health professionals. Other data that would also most likely be helpful are brand names and retail prices
of drugs found in the Philippines.

2.0 Enumerate the services offered by the National Drug Information Center (NDIC).

The National Drug Information Center (NDIC) started providing services since 2013 and later on
started answering public and professional inquiries of the same year in December. NDIC offers
these services to the public:
• Provide timely responses to the drug information requests from the public, healthcare
professionals and policymakers
• Create a nationwide internet-based drug information service
• Remain updated on topics about drug safety and their effectiveness on a worldwide scale
• Provide drug information support for the new drug approval process and drug safety issues
• Participate in drug sector newsletter for healthcare professionals
• Establish new SFDA database for regulated drug patient information
• Review and evaluate the Saudi Arabian and GCC registered drug package inserts
• Review and evaluate the safety and efficacy of new drugs
• Liaising with other local and international drug information centers
• Participating in public health education and awareness programs
• Training SFDA pharmacists in providing drug information services
• Provide a rotation site for pharmacy students

3.0 Give at least 3 dispensing guidelines for each special population: a) geriatric patients, b)
pediatric patients and c) pregnant women.

A. Dispensing Guidelines for Geriatric Patients

• Teaching patients and/or the patient’s guardian how to use drug calendar reminders,
commercially available drug boxes, electronic drug-dispensing devices, and pill splitters or
crushers
 • Making sure that drug labels and take-home printed materials are in large text in size and in the
patient’s native language
• Assessing the patient’s ability to adhere to a drug regimen before dispensing by noticing certain
impairments (eg, poor dexterity, lack of hand strength, cognitive impairment, loss of vision)

B. Dispensing Guidelines for Pediatric Patients

• The pharmacist must evaluate a patient's age, size, and level of organ maturity, and not simply
administer a "small adult" dose before dispensing
• Advise the parents about the child’s medication after dispensing
• Oral route is preferred when it comes to pediatric patients. The strength and concentration of
the medications should be clearly stated

C. Dispensing Guidelines for Pregnant Women

• OTC medicines should only be considered if it is clear the expected benefit to the mother
outweighs the potential risks to the fetus
• Only recommend medicines that have been widely used in pregnancy and have a good safety
record
• If a woman has persistent or severe symptoms, recommend that she discuss these with her
general practitioner.

4.0 Explain Screening Tool of Older People’s Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) and
Screening Tool to Alert Doctors to Right Treatments (START). Correlate these in prescription
analysis.

Screening Tool of Older People’s Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) and Screening
Tool to Alert Doctors to Right Treatments (START) are explicit screening tools that identify potentially
inappropriate prescribing in older adults. STOPP/START may be effective in improving prescribing
quality, clinical, humanistic and economic outcomes. Additional research investigating these tools is
needed, especially in frail elderly and community-living patients receiving primary care. Implementation
of STOPP and START as a clinical pharmacy service reduces inappropriate prescribing, facilitates the
three-monthly medication reviews required to meet HIQA's medication monitoring and review standard
and is acceptable to General Practitioners.

5.0 What strategies can be applied in managing polypharmacy?

The strategies that can be applied in managing polypharmacy are conducting medication
reconciliations at care transition, eliminating duplicate medications, assessing for drug-drug
interactions, and reviewing dosages can reduce the incidence of polypharmacy to ensure patient safety,
reduce hospitalizations, and decrease associated costs.

6.0 Discuss how electronic prescriptions are retained on-file.

Electronic prescriptions refer to the optical electronic data (e.g. pdf, jpeg, or other photo format)
issued by or made by a licensed physician which is generated, sent, received or stored through email and
messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Viber, Line and Messenger. All electronic prescriptions shall
contain a digital signature, name, license number, and professional tax receipt (PTR) of the licensed
physician, if applicable. These electronic prescriptions must also contain the name of the individual to
whom the medicines or drugs are prescribed, the dosage and all other pertinent matters similarly
contained in a written prescription. All licensed physicians who made use of the electronic prescription
shall keep records of all electronic prescriptions he/she issued pursuant to FDA Circular
No. 2020-007.

Additionally, an electronic prescription must contain a name, code, identifier, or electronic

signature that uniquely identifies a particular prescriber and prescribing event where the prescriber is the
only person authorized to generate his/her electronic signature, code or identifier from an electronic
device designed for the purpose. This could occur in the following ways: The electronic prescription has
an electronic record that is unique to the issuance of that prescription, which would include a specific
time of day the prescription was issued and can be verified using this time of day or another electronic
locator; and:

 A totally secure network (like hospitals) where only prescribers can, through security measures
within the system, access the system to prescribe and therefore the prescription does not require
a direct physical signature or an electronic signature; or
 In electronic prescription systems that are not within a secure network, there must be an electronic
verification of authenticity that is included with the electronic prescription; or
 An electronic prescription could be issued using handheld technology that allows for an electronic
written signature to accompany the prescription.