Fifteen years of drug information in Christchurch Hospital

Aim. To determine changes in numbers, demography and type of questions pose d to the drug information service (DIS) at Christchurch Hospital over the l ast fifteen years. Methods. The database of the DIS was used to retrieve :data for one-year pe riods including the period of establishment in 1985/1986, 1993/1994 and 199 9/2000. Results. The number of questions per month increased from 26 in 1985/1986 t o 284 in 1999/2000. The majority of questions have related to adverse drug reactions, contraindications/precautions, drug selection, interactions, ari d administration/dosage. Questions on drug interactions showed the greatest relative increase, from 8% to 19% of all questions. A disproportionate inc rease in requests came from primary care, which provided 14% of questions i n 1985/1986 and 38% in 1999/2000. Computer databases are the major resource used currently whereas journal articles and textbooks dominated in 1985/19 86. Conclusions. There has been a marked increase in use of the DIS despite a r elatively constant population base. This may reflect an increased awareness of both the availability of the service and recognition of the complexity of medicines. The computer database is a useful reference source, decreasin g repetition of search pathways and allowing audit to assist in the ongoing improvement of the service.