13. Hosp Pharmacy -Th' Committee - My Experience - 1

Author:

Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - 06:15

My experience with Pharmacy Therapeutic Committee

It was the latter part of 1976 while I was serving as Graduate Pharmacist in Government Wenlock hospital, Mangalore, Karnataka I first proposed for the constitution of a hospital therapeutic committee. Till such time, there were no hospital level therapeutic committee and there was only one State Therapeutic committee.

Dr H Sadananda Ballal was the District Surgeon cum Supdt of the hospital. It was not easy to get through as the need was not felt to be very much imminent by the administration and clinicians who were used to functioning with out any such committee. But I used to come across many issues in the minds of doctors that could be discussed and resolved in such a meeting.

Dr Ballal called me for a discussion on my proposal and I told him that there are several issues like: non-availability of drugs desired by them, inefficacy of certain drugs supplied in the stores and from my manufacturing pharmacy. Since these were quite popular complaints it didn’t warrant any verification.

My proposal was approved and a Therapeutic committee took its birth and met for the first time in the Government Wenlock Hospital Mangalore.

During my tenure only one meeting could be held. But, sorry to say the committee has reported to have ceased to function after I left the hospital on transfer.

I had sent the agenda and agenda notes also with the meeting notice which made the very first meeting bit more purposeful and meaning full. The agenda were;

1. Quality of drugs’ supplied in the hospital
2. Requirement of any other drugs
3. Any other issues with the permission of the chair

The doctors found the meeting bit amusing and the subject bit interesting. (This was off the record remark of the H o D medicine Dr K P Ganeshan at the beginning of the meeting)

The first meeting was attended by Dr H S Ballal – who himself was a surgeon, *Resident Medical Officer, Dr K P Ganeshan, H o D Medicine, Dr Thimmaiah, ENT Surgeon, Dr Surendranath Shetty, *Anaesthesiologist (*Sorry, I don’t remember the name), etc.

The meeting started with all sweet talks and appreciation by one and all.

The main comment was on the efficacy of Lignocaine injection supplied from my pharmacy and inadequacy of dressing materials from the stores.

I was delighted when a controversy started over the Lignocaine injection of my pharmacy.

The ENT surgeon expressed unhappiness over the efficacy of pharmacy Lignocaine injection compared to market product. But the Dental surgeon said he was very much satisfied and desired to have some vials with adrenaline.

Now it was my turn to intervene.

I appreciated with due regards the opinion of both and said I would study the issue and revert with the solution in the next meeting and requested their permission to visit their department to understand the problem.

The Dr Thimmaiah, ENT surgeon said he would permit if I agree to have a cup of tea in the department. [Such was the cordial relationship of pharmacy with the doctors.]
The meeting ended in a very happy cordial note to meet again.

Action taken;

The next few days I spent some time ENT department and observed that his problem was true. Since I couldn’t do much to improve the Lignocaine injection, I arranged to supply the same to ENT department from the supply contractor. All were happy there.

As regards, the addition of adrenaline to Lignocaine injection, since my pharmacy was having very limited facility to handle such an admixture, I pleaded my inability to make and supply Lignocaine with Adrenaline.

Bottom line;

I had the satisfaction of having succeeded in constituting a hospital Therapeutic committee.

The discussion prevented negative propaganda on the products of pharmacy

Resolved the bandage issue.