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COST-EFFICIENCY OF NATIONAL DRUG INFORMATION CENTER THROUGH MINISTRY OF HEALH HOTLINE
CALLING SERVICES (937) IN SAUDI ARABIA: APPLICATION OF A MERCIAN MODEL
Alomi YA1, Almudaiheem HY1, Alarnous T1, Alshurei S1, Alsharafa A2, Alzahrani T1, Albassri H1, Alenizi K1, Alreshedi M1, Alathan M1, Aljohany N1
1Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2Ras Tanoura Hospital, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Background
National Drug Information Hotline was established in December 2013 and
it’s a work joint with Health Emergency General Department and General
Pharmaceutical Care Department. It’s a 24/7 active service throughout the
year covering holidays as well, receiving calls from public and professional
health care providers all around the Kingdom, this service was operated
with only 11 Clinical Pharmacist and trained Pharmacist whom providing
Drug Information to public as Phase I, this service expand to have providers
throughout the Kingdom (Riyadh, Jeddah, Almadinah, Tabouk, Eastern
Region, Northern Region, Jazan, Hail, Alqarayat & Alhassa ), having 47
Clinical Pharmacist and trained pharmacist answering public and
professional calls Phase II on 2015.
Objectives
National Drug Information Center (NDIC) has started providing services since
January 2013; and answering public and professional inquires through MOHHotline Calling Services (937) since December 2013. The objective of this
study was to estimate cost-efficiency of NDIC in Saudi Arabia using American
model of drug information inquires cost avoidance.
Methods
Simulation including all 12-month 2014 of receiving adults and pediatrics
drug information inquiries through MOH-Hotline Calling Services (937). Ten
on-call clinical Pharmacists and expert trained pharmacists were receiving
calls from public and professional asking about drug information, through
manual documentation system of drug information inquiries by data
collecting form. Using international Study Model (Kinky et al, Ann
Pharmacotherapy 1999), the cost considered were the expected results of
drug related problems sequel of drug information inquires if not existing drug
information services and were not answered; starting from Physician visit,
additional treatment, hospital admission to death stage.
Results
The total number answered calls were 976 calls, with 264 (27%)
answered calls were documented; the average costs avoidance per
each answered call was (415.78 USD), and total cost was (109,768
USD) with partial documentation, the estimated total cost with
complete documentation was (405,801 USD) per year. The cost
avoidance of answering public inquiries was (80,806.5 USD) and
Professional inquires was (28,961.5 USD). The highest cost
avoidance based on type of inquires was dose standardization
(34,195 USD), drug administration (21,324 USD) followed by drugs
in pregnancy (15,826 USD) and Adverse a Drug reaction (12,793
USD). The highest cost avoidance was Antibacterial expected related
problem (33,454.5 USD).
Reference:
1. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists 2014, Medication Therapy and Patient Care: Specific
Practice Areas–Guidelines.
2. Asiri YA , AlArifi, MN, AlSultan MS, Gubara OA. Evaluation of drug and poison information center in
Saudi Arabia during the period 2000-2002. Saudi Med J. 2007 Apr;28(4):6179.
3. Taher EntezariMaleki, Mohammad Taraz, Mohammad Reza Javadi, Mir Hamed Hajimiri, Kaveh
Eslami, Iman Karimzadeh, Maysam Esmaeili, and Kheirollah Gholami. A two year utilization of the
pharmacist operated drug information center in Iran. J Res Pharm Pract. 2014 OctDec;3(4): 117–122.
4.Shadnia S, Soltaninejad K, Sohrabi F, Rezvani M, Barari B, Abdollahi M. The performance of
Loghman-Hakim drug and poison information center from 2006 to 2008. Iran J Pharm Res.
2011;10:647–52. [PMCID: PMC3813026]
Inquiry classification
Public
Professional
%
%
Dose standardization
Drug Administration
Drug in pregnancy
ADR
Drug availability/ formulary
Drug Identification
Drug-drug interaction
Others
Compatibility
Drugs in breast feeding
Compounding
Drug- Nutrition interaction
pharmacokinetic
Total
N (180(
27.77
16.11
12.7
9.47
9.4
7.22
6.66
5
1.66
1.11
0.55
0.55
0.55
100
N (120(
25.83
14.16
8.33
15
5
9.16
10.83
5
1.66
2.5
2.5
0
0
100
Medication category
Inquiry %
Antibacterial
20.3
Vitamins
12
Antihypertensive
5
Analgesia
4.3
rheumatic disease and gout
Antihistamine
4
4
Contraceptives
3.3
Anticonvulsants
3.3
Immunosuppressant Agent and
Corticosteroid
Antidepressant
3
2.6
Discussion
In this study we tried to estimate cost-efficiency of NDIC in Saudi Arabia
during 12 months, the most frequent question was about dose
standardization (27.77% and 25.83%) for public and professional respectively
while in Loghman-Hakim drug and poison information center in Iran, Drug
identification was the most frequent question by (23.9%), in Southern Illinois
University and College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan
the most frequent question was related to Drug therapy by (24.19%, 13%
)Respectively.
we encountered some limitations during our evaluation as the rate of
documentation was just (27%), online network of Drug information around
the kingdom was not activated and finally the number of the hotline staff
was inadequate in the first year of operation.
Online documentation was activated and the staff was increased by 30% .
CONCLUSIONS
In this National Drug Information Center cost-efficiency simulation for
Saudi Arabia, hotline line calling services - Drug Information associated
with cost savings per each receiving call. expanding the answering drug
information services with electronic documentation, and available elibrary resources considering the associated preventing drug related
problems and Healthcare Improvement and better care, better patient
outcomes, and reduced costs.