Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Management
~1 min read
Lesson 3 of 13
Notes
Quality Use of Medicines (QUM)
Quality Use of Medicines is a framework that promotes the wise selection, appropriate use, and safe administration of medicines. The four principles are: (1) selecting management options wisely — considering non-pharmacological before pharmacological options; (2) choosing suitable medicines if required — based on efficacy, safety, patient factors; (3) using medicines safely and effectively — correct dosing, monitoring, and duration; (4) achieving desired outcomes — reviewing effectiveness and adjusting therapy.
Evidence-based prescribing integrates clinical expertise with the best available research evidence and patient preferences. Key resources include the New Zealand Formulary (NZF), Therapeutic Guidelines, Cochrane Reviews, and PHARMAC funding criteria. Pharmacists play a critical role in medicines information provision to both patients and healthcare professionals.
Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs)
ADRs are classified by the WHO as any response to a medicine that is noxious, unintended, and occurs at doses normally used for prophylaxis, diagnosis, or therapy. Type A reactions are dose-related (predictable, e.g., bleeding with warfarin), Type B are idiosyncratic (unpredictable, e.g., anaphylaxis with penicillin), Type C are related to chronic use (e.g., adrenal suppression with corticosteroids), and Type D are delayed effects (e.g., carcinogenesis). In NZ, pharmacists can report ADRs directly to CARM (Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring). The Naranjo Scale assists in determining ADR causality.
Pharmacy Business and Professional Ethics
Pharmacy management encompasses stock control (ordering, receiving, expiry checking, storage), financial management, staff management, and regulatory compliance. Cold chain management is critical for vaccines and biologics (2-8°C). Professional ethics in pharmacy are governed by the Pharmacy Council's Code of Ethics, which outlines principles of non-maleficence, beneficence, autonomy, justice, and fidelity. Confidentiality of patient information is protected under the Health Information Privacy Code 2020.