Drug Information Center

Hello steemians friends, as a result of the installation by the National Executive of telephone service 0800 SALUDYA, as a pharmacist I would like to highlight the importance of this action for the Venezuelan people.

To be able to count on a national level with a Medicine Information Center directed exclusively to the general public with the purpose of providing a truthful and timely service that not only contributes to locate medicines but can guide about their conscientious use, it means a great advance for Public Health and this is recommended by respected international organizations such as the Group for the Investigation of the Use of Medicines in Latin America (DURG-LA)

Beyond the circumstantial need to locate medicines, our people, there is a habit of information about medicines, in everyday life many questions and questions arise about its use, benefits, risks, precautions, conservation, including the way to obtain or acquire them .

It is not the practice of who prescribes to devote the necessary time to offer detailed instructions to patients, on the other hand people who buy over-the-counter medications only have advertising disguised as information. In any case, the understanding of medicines is complex and communicating it properly is not easy, it requires an additional effort.
I propose that the number be changed to 0800-MEDICAMENTO, it is more appropriate, unambiguous and easy to memorize, the Center must be directed and operated by pharmaceutical professionals and qualified Pharmacy students (shoemaker to their shoes), not only must it be accessed through of the telephone but social networks and other electronic and face-to-face media such as citizen attention, in addition to independent, objective, reliable, appropriate and unbiased sources of information about medicines.

Objective:
Provide the public with technical and scientific information about medicines in an objective and timely manner, constituting an optimal strategy to meet particular information needs. To do this, it must have databases and information sources for medicines with independent information aimed at promoting compliance with the therapy and guiding responsible self-medication.

Specific functions:

1. Answer doubts about the use or therapeutic indication.
2. Recommend therapeutic alternatives.
3. Answer generic equivalents to trade names (national and foreign).
4. Orient about the manufacturing laboratory.
5. Advise about the use of a pharmaceutical form.
6. Resolve doubts about the composition, dosage and route of administration.
7. Answer questions about effectiveness.
8. Detect Adverse Drug Reactions (RAM).
9. Guide about contraindications, precautions / warnings.
10. Detect drug-food interactions, as well as ratify compatibility.
11. Guide in a situation of overdose, toxicology / poisoning.
12. Educate in pregnancy / lactation situation.
13. Orient about the use of medications in pediatrics and geriatrics.
14. Instruct about stability, conservation / storage.
15. Inform about the availability of medicines in the national and international market.
16. Direct patients to Social Dispensing Programs.
17. Provide information about cosmetic products, natural and medical devices.
18. Carry out case tracking to determine utility and impact of the service.