RPM Plus: What We Do: AMR - DTC Course Participants Present Results from Drug Use Studies at Kenya Symposium

Former Drug and Therapeutics Committee (DTC) and Training of Trainers (TOT) course participants, Patrick Boruett and Sital Shah, presented their DTC-related work toward promoting rational drug use at a national symposium organized by Hospital Pharmacists’ Association of Kenya in Nairobi in March 2007.

Patrick Boruett, a pharmacist and member of Mater Hospital DTC worked with colleagues Benjamin Maronda and Nath Opiyo in a Drug Use Evaluation (DUE) project on antibiotic prophylaxis in cesarean sections. Based on experience from a DUE session given during the Uganda Regional DTC-TOT course, Patrick oriented Benjamin and Nath in the design, methods, data collection, and analysis of the DUE. The team then completed the DUE and was successful in presenting its findings in a poster entitled “Drug Use Evaluation: Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Csection at Mater Hospital” at the Nairobi symposium.

Ms. Tina Brock, the symposium’s keynote speaker from the University of London School of Pharmacy, ranked the poster among the top four out of 10 posters presented during the event. The poster proved a catalyst to symposium attendees to discuss strategies to improve antibiotic use in surgery. Many were able to see the numerous opportunities available for intervention and to make a difference in medicines management within their health care facilities. Benjamin and Nath believed that the success of the strategies put in place would provide one of the best lessons on how DTCs can intervene to improve antibiotic use in their institutions. Benjamin, who is also a pharmacist and member of the DTC, expressed after the event, “It was a great occasion for us to showcase the work that we are doing towards improving antibiotic use at the Mater Hospital.”

Similarly, the Chief Pharmacist and member secretary of DTC at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Ms. Sital Shah delivered an oral presentation titled, “Aga Khan University Hospital Promotes Rational Use of Medicines through a Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee.”

“I enjoyed presenting my work of using evidence in promoting rational drug use. Kenyan Pharmacy and Poison Board officials were among the audience and they took serious note on unlicensed use of available injections. I felt very proud!”

Ms. Sital Shah

After attending the International DTC-TOT course in Malaysia in 2005, Sital actively implemented rational drug use activities through her hospital’s DTC. Her presentation at the symposium generated significant interest in medicine use studies, formulary management strategies, and enquiries for DTC trainings.

She described how three injections were removed from the formulary based on evidence and rationale, and also discussed how education on rational use of six other injections led to significant cost savings. Sital told her audience how she sought consensus from her DTC to conduct the WHO/INRUD outpatient prescribing indicators on a quarterly basis. She trained two pharmacy staff to periodically monitor prescribing indicators and linked their performance appraisal to ensure sustainability.

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