Operating procedures at all the country's pharmacies could soon be standardised, a senior Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD) official said yesterday. New protocols being considered for pharmacies in both public and private sector hospitals would come under legislation being finalised at the moment. Dr Mohammed Abuelkhair, the head of drugs and medical product regulation section at HAAD, said he had received positive feedback from retail pharmacies. They had been invited to see what the public sector was doing, such as using more IT-focused procedures, and had been "excited".
"Hospital administrators might not know the full benefits but once they see that the cost savings can be made they are becoming more responsive." Dr Hashem Tarifi, the head of pharmacy at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain, said having access to patient profiles through a virtual network could revolutionise prescribing by verifying medication and reconciling for errors and omissions, "and hence improve patient safety and ultimately therapeutic outcome".
The doctors were speaking ahead of the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Middle East conference being held on April 20-22 at Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre. munderwood@thenational.ae
