National Survey of Drug Information Centers practice: Pharmacoeconomic System at Ministry of Health Hospitals in Saudi Arabia

Objective: To explore the National Survey of Drug Information Centers practice in Saudi Arabia: PharmacoEconomic System at Ministry of Health Hospitals. Methods: It is a cross-sectional four months national survey of Drug Information Services at MOH. It contained ten domains with 181 questions designed by the authors. It was derived from Internal Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), American Society of Health-System Pharmacists best practice guidelines. This survey was distributed to forty hospital pharmacies that run drug information services. In this study, the domain of Pharmacoeconomics System was explored and analyzed. It consisted of eight questions about the written policy and procedure and application methods for the PharmacoEconomic system in the drug information centers. All analysis was done through survey monkey system. Results: The survey was distributed to forty-five of hospitals, the response rate, was 40 (88.88%) hospitals. Of those; The Written policy and procedure of PharmacoEconomic did not exist in 26 (65%) hospitals. The definition types of PharmacoEconomic do not exist in 23 (57.5%) hospitals. Evaluation Processes of PharmacoEconomic Studies did not exist in 22 (55%) hospitals. The intensive analysis performed for all significant potential cost of the medications did not exist in 22(55%) hospitals. The evidence for using reported PharmacoEconomic data to improve medication use process and reduce cost rate, not found in 22 (55%) hospitals. Moreover, the Evidence of involvement of Drug Evaluation Processes not existed in 20 (50%) hospitals. Conclusion: the pharmacoeconomics system was week implementations of drug information centers practice. Revision of pharmacy strategic plan with pharmacoeconomics applications is required to improve the system at MOH hospital in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.