THE NEEDS AND SOURCES OF DRUG INFORMATION AMONG PHARMACISTS IN HONG-KONG

The objective of this study was to determine the drug information need s of pharmacists in Hong Kong, the sources of drug information availab le and the constraints limiting their ability to fulfil drug informati on needs at practice sites. A questionnaire survey was carried out in January 1995 of community (230 retail pharmacies, 10 outpatient clinic s) and 44 hospital pharmacists working in Hong Kong. The information s ought included: place of practice, availability of reference texts, jo urnals or periodicals at practice sites, types of clinical pharmacy se rvices provided, frequency and types of drug information questions rec eived, sources of drug information used, needs for a drug information service, and constraints limiting their ability to fulfil drug informa tion needs at practice sites. Ninety-four pharmacists (hospital 68.2%, community 26.6%) responded. Hospital pharmacists generally had more r eference texts and journals/periodicals at practice sites than communi ty pharmacists. The majority of pharmacists in this survey were involv ed in a variety of clinical pharmacy services, including the delivery of drug information to other health-care professionals and the general public. Community pharmacists were most often asked questions about o ver-the-counter drugs, drug dosage and drug identification. Hospital p harmacists were most often asked questions about drug identification a nd availability of drugs. The most important drug information sources for both the community and hospital pharmacists were their own knowled ge and work-place reference texts. Few pharmacists frequently used the service provided by the national Drug and Poisons Information Bureau (DPIB). The scarcity of drug information sources was perceived as an i mportant constraint by both community and hospital pharmacists when fu lfilling drug information needs at practice sites. Lack of time was co nsidered an equally important constraint by the hospital pharmacists. A national drug information service was generally felt to be necessary . In conclusion, information sources was perceived to be a very import ant constraint limiting the pharmacists surveyed in fulfilling drug in formation needs at their individual practice sites. However, many were unaware that the drug information requested was already available. Re gular attempts to publicize this territory-wide DPIB are obviously nee ded.