Drug Dispensing Systems at Al-Shifa Hospital and the European Gaza Hospital: A Comparative Study
Date
2009-01-31
Authors
Mokhlis Al Adham
مخلص خليل محمد الادهم
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Al-Quds University
Abstract
Implementing an effective drug dispensing system at hospitals is very important in order to
ensure that the prescribed drugs are rationally used and safely administered. The overall
aim of this study is to compare the Unit Dose System utilized at the European Gaza
Hospital (EGH) and the Ward Stock System utilized at Al-Shifa Hospital, in order to
assess which drug dispensing system is more appropriate and contributing more to the safe
and rational drug use.
A quantitative comparative cross-sectional design using three research instruments was
followed in this study. The instruments were structured questionnaire directed toward
pharmacists and head nurses, missed drug registration sheet and drug administration
observation sheet. The total number of pharmacists and head nurses at both hospitals was
92, and the response rate for the questionnaire was 94.5%.
The study illustrated that more than 70% of the respondents at both Al-Shifa Hospital and
the European Gaza Hospital reported that they had sometimes experienced drug shortage in
their settings, and also that more than 86% of the respondents at both hospitals considered
drug shortage at the Ministry of Health Drug Stores as the main reason of drug shortage at
their settings. Additionally, nearly 64% of the study respondents at Al-Shifa Hospital
reported that drug shortage was observed with all cases (the newly-admitted and the
previously admitted cases), while 76% of respondents reported that drug shortage was
mostly observed with the newly-admitted cases at the EGH.
This study showed that the percentage of missed drugs at Al-Shifa Hospital was 5%, while
it was 2.9% at the EGH and the differences were statistically significant. Also, the study
clarified that the rate of medication administration errors was higher at Al-Shifa Hospital
than the EGH with percentages of 9.7% and 6% respectively.
This study elucidated that nurses' time spent on drug management process at Al-Shifa
Hospital was perceived to be longer than it at the EGH. Additionally, guidelines about
drugs preparation and administration were more available at the EGH and there was nearly
absence of reporting about medication errors at both hospitals. Moreover, the study
showed that the degree of pharmacists' involvement in clinical pharmacy activities was
more prominent at the EGH and therefore the level of pharmacists-physicians contact was
higher at the EGH than it at Al-Shifa Hospital.
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Citation
Al Adham، Mokhlis Khalil. (2009). Drug Dispensing Systems at Al-Shifa Hospital and
the European Gaza Hospital: A Comparative Study [رسالة ماجستير منشورة، جامعة القدس،
فلسطين]. المستودع الرقمي لجامعة القدس. https://arab-scholars.com/54d5be