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Abstract

National Drug Information Center has started providing services since January 2013; and started answering public and professional inquires through Ministry of Health Hotline Calling Services (937) since December 2013. Ten on call clinical pharmacist and expert trained pharmacist over 24/7 received calls asking about drug information, through manual documentation system of drug information inquiries. It consisted of type and qualification of caller, type of inquiries, and medications and cost avoidance of expected results of drug related problems sequel of drug information inquires if drug information services did not exist and were not answered using USA model. After 12-months of providing services, the total number of answered calls were 976 calls with 264 (27%) answered calls documented; with 300 answered drug inquires. 60% of inquiries were from the public and 40% were from professionals. The most type of inquiries were about medication identification and dose standardization, followed by drugs in pregnancy, the most medications were asked in both public and professional were antimicrobial. The average costs avoidance per each answered call received was (415.78 USD), and total estimated cost avoidance was (405.801 USD) per year. Hotline calling services of National Drug Information Center is costefficient in Saudi Arabia, it was associated with preventing drug related problems and cost savings per each receiving call. Expanding drug information services with electronic documentation excepted healthcare improvement and better care, better patient outcomes, and reduced costs.

Biography

Yousef A Alomi is the Head of General Administration of Pharmaceutical Care Administration, and Head of National Drug Information Center, MOH Saudi Arabia. He received Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences degree from King Saud University in 1992. After six-years of higher study, he earned his Master of Clinical Pharmacy from the same University in 1998. He is an affiliated Clinical Instructor of Purdue University in USA. He is adjunct Assistant Professor of King Saud University College of Pharmacy. He worked as Clinical Pharmacist in critical care area and nutrition support. He has established and implemented several programs at MOH Hospitals such as Clinical Pharmacy Program, Medication Safety Program, Pain Management Program, Anticoagulation Program and Pharmacy Infection Control, including Adult and Pediatrics Clinical Pharmacy Programs. He founded Mass Gathering Pharmaceutical Care in Saudi Arabia. He became a member of advisory board of the Arab Pharmaceutical Journal in 2010 and Pharmacy Board Member of Saudi Commission of Health Care Specialties (2010-2013). He had several research papers in Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice published in ACCP and ISPOR conferences and had several presentations in clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice at several conferences in and outside Saudi Arabia.

Email: yalomi@moh.gov.sa