Medicines Information in Hospital Pharmacy Practice

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering medicines information roles, search strategies, referencing, hospital procedures, and clinical case resolutions presented in the lecture.

What hospital committee does the medicines information pharmacist review new drugs for?

The Drugs and Therapeutics Committee

What specific topic is mentioned as an example of an FAQ database compiled by the speaker?

Drug dosing and obesity

Which hospital staff members besides fellow pharmacists frequently submit queries to medicines information?

Nurses, medical typists, and specialists in project work

Why can the timeframe designation 'not urgent' create ambiguity when receiving an enquiry?

To one person it may mean 10 minutes, whereas to another person it may mean 10 hours

What patient-specific clinical details should a pharmacist gather when investigating an enquiry?

Age, sex, allergies, renal and hepatic function, reason for admission, current medications, weight, past medical history, swallowing ability or feeding tubes, type of IV access, and pregnancy or breastfeeding status

Which Australian tertiary reference does the speaker routinely consult first before progressing to literature searches?

Australian Medicines Handbook (AMH)

What should be stated in a response if an inquiry cannot be answered fully due to time or resource limitations?

State the limitation explicitly, such as having only 10 minutes or being unable to obtain an article from the library

How should a pharmacist tailor their communication when responding to a patient versus a specialist consultant?

Avoid technical jargon when communicating with a patient, while acronyms and clinical terminology may be used with a consultant

What unique utility do pediatric textbooks offer for adult medicines information queries?

Detailed guidance on pharmacokinetics and alternative administration methods when patients cannot swallow

Which specialty medical textbooks does the speaker recommend for information on dosing in liver impairment?

Psychiatric textbooks

To which specialized external agency can hospital pharmacists refer complex toxicology questions?

The State Toxicology Service

Which referencing style is utilized by the speaker's hospital and Curtin University?

Vancouver style

Where does the speaker recommend summarizing overall findings in an email enquiry response?

In the last paragraph

In what year did Fiona Stanley Hospital open?

2014

What are the most frequent keywords and clinical topics queried at Fiona Stanley Hospital?

Obesity, anticoagulants, IV administration, dosing (in renal impairment or extreme body sizes), indications, adverse effects, and drug stability or storage

Which secondary publication summarizes adverse drug reactions compiled across other medical journals?

Reactions Weekly

Which health service library is accessed daily by the speaker for medicines information resources?

South and East Metropolitan Health Service Library

What does 'exploding' a search term mean in MeSH database indexing?

Broadening the search to retrieve literature on a drug and anything related to it

What does 'focusing' a search term mean in MeSH database indexing?

Restricting the literature search strictly to the specific term itself

What MeSH term is used as a formal medical synonym when searching for 'stomach cancer'?

Stomach neoplasms

Which British reference work is described as the equivalent to the Australian Medicines Handbook (AMH)?

British National Formulary (BNF)

Which American publication is described as being analogous to Martindale?

AHFS (American Hospital Formulary Service)

Which comprehensive tertiary resource is dedicated to drug-drug interactions?

Stockley's Drug Interactions

Why might a pharmacist consult non-credible online sources such as Bluelight forums?

To find $n=1$ semi-scientific reports on drug effects or identify street slang when conventional databases like MEDLINE or Embase fail

Approximately how many clinical queries does the speaker handle per week at Fiona Stanley Hospital?

Between 25 and 30 queries a week

Which clinical staff member typically conducts medication reconciliation upon emergency admission?

The Emergency Department (ED) pharmacist (Mike)

How is medication reconciliation (med rec) defined in the lecture?

Taking the medications a patient has brought in, identifying what they are actually taking, and comparing that to what they should be taking

What clinical symptoms did the patient Mr. Praline present with upon hospital arrival?

Shortness of breath, cough, and fever

What discrepancy was found inside Mr. Praline's Diazepam medication bottle?

The bottle contained Metformin tablets instead of Diazepam

Where can a pharmacist search to find ingredient lists for obscure natural products if clinical references lack them?

Commercial pharmacy websites or Amazon.com

Who authored the natural medicine reference textbook 'Herbs and Natural Supplements'?

Lesley Braun and Co

Which cancer center provides an evidence-based herbal medicine resource for both patients and clinicians?

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Which CYP450 enzyme does milk thistle inhibit that can elevate concentrations of apixaban and citalopram?

CYP3A4

Which CYP450 enzyme does milk thistle inhibit that interacts with omeprazole?

CYP2C9

Which public website is recommended for identifying solid dosage forms manufactured in the United States?

Pillbox

Why must lateral thinking be used regarding tablet color when searching identification databases?

Tablet color naming is inconsistent, meaning an orange tablet could be cataloged as brown, red, or pink

Which two brand/manufacturer names were identified in AusDI for Mr. Praline's unknown tablet?

Sevika and Mylan

What clinical diagnosis does the abbreviation CAP stand for in the medical intern's email?

Community-acquired pneumonia

What active ingredients comprise Tazocin, and what informal name is it given in hospitals?

Piperacillin and tazobactam; nicknamed 'vitamin T'

What was Mr. Praline's estimated creatinine clearance calculated by the team?

Approximately $25\,\text{mL/min}$

According to the Therapeutic Guidelines, is a Tazocin dosage reduction necessary at a creatinine clearance of $25\,\text{mL/min}$?

No, Tazocin does not need to be reduced at that clearance

What informal terms do hospital ward staff use to describe a Y-site connector for IV infusions?

'Chicken foot' or 'choco'

What visual characteristic identifies the print copy of the Australian Injectable Drugs Handbook (AIDH)?

A bright yellow cover

Which IV compatibility guide uses a traffic light display system to indicate compatibility?

King Guide

Which online resource compiles drug stability data without requiring a preliminary literature search?

Stabilis

What administration technique allows an IV medication to be given over minutes rather than a 15- to 30-minute infusion?

Intravenous push injection

What incompatibility occurs when ceftriaxone and azithromycin are co-administered?

A physical reaction/precipitation

Which UK specialist website provides guidance on drug stability outside recommended storage temperatures?

The Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) website (referred to as FBS in transcript)

Which specialized reference book provides medication safety data exclusively for breastfeeding?

Hale (Medications and Mothers' Milk)

Why was omeprazole recommended over pantoprazole for Mr. Praline's pregnant granddaughter?

Omeprazole has been used much more extensively in pregnancy, providing a superior established safety profile