Principles Of Basic And Clinical Pharmacology - Case Study Example

PHARMACOLOGY TOPIC Discuss the roles of therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme(PBS) in the provision of drugs, and describe three issues that are currently impacting on the continued viability of the PBS. (10 marks) The Therapeutic Good Administration a body in Australia that has the mandate to regulate therapeutic goods. The body has got the authority to assess the therapeutic goods like the medicines that are being used in the health system, the cosmetics used for beauty therapy, blood sugar testers and all the medical equipment that is used in hospitals to offer health services to its people. The body supervises these goods by following the strict act of the Therapeutic Goods Act of 1989. The body excludes some goods that are also stated in this act. The body ensures that the ingredients that are used for the production of medicine are the correct ones and that the ingredients have been used in the right quantity. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is program that was launched by the Australian government to assist in giving quality and cheaper medication to the Australian residents. The PBS has to maintain equality, availability and quite cheap medications. It confirms that the poor people in the society are able to get medication easily without so many struggles. PBS helps so many individuals to get better in a very cheap manner. The Australian government is able to ensure that all its citizens are getting good medication through PBS. 2. “How to develop and implement a national drug policy” WHO policy perspectives on medicine, January 2003. Discuss the key components of a national drug policy. (10 marks) Developing the national drug policy is a very complex work to be done. And the components have got a role that they each play in getting the required objectives of the drug policy. Some of these components are; the way people access their medications, the quality of their medication, and the ratio in which people are able to get their medication. This drug policy is supposed to be a balanced policy in such a way that it does not discriminate any set goal, it has to be a very consistent entity. For example, people would want to access the good medication; hence they should get this medication without any discrimination. In implementing the national drug policy, the government should consider how to select the necessary medication that is required in all hospitals and pharmaceuticals. The NDP has to consider the affordability of the medication to the citizens. 3. As a paramedic, identify your responsibilities relating to three NMP objectives regarding; I. The rational use of medicines. As a paramedic I will make sure that I understand the risks that are associated with the use of medicine. I will have to understand the impacts of medicine both the negative and positive impacts better. I will make a great effort and help the sick people using the medicine to understand the impacts of the medicines better. This will in turn assist the people using the medicines to know what they are up to. II. The regulation and quality assurance. As a paramedic I will have to work with the TGA and keep up the standards of efficiency. This I will do with the interest of TGA I will work to ensure that the quality of the medicine being used is top notch. I will better myself to have the necessary skills to help uphold the quality levels of the medicines. I will get myself involved in the quality assurance initiatives (Kenakin, 2009). This will give my clients the confidence in the medicines that I give them. III. The monitoring and evaluation. As a paramedic I will make a good effort and follow up on my patients and see how they will be fairing on. This I will do to ensure that the quality of medicines that I used were of good quality. 4. From your paramedic experience, discuss your current work related practices that support the quality use of medicines. Identify areas which you consider do not currently promote QUM and discuss strategies you will try to put in place to support the QUM. (10 marks) I will support the use of QUM by choosing the most efficient and cost effective medicine. I will use the knowledge that I acquired from learning and experience to be able to choose the right medication for my patients. I will also give my patients the issues that are related to the use of the medication that I give hence they will know the effects of the treatment that I will give them. I will analyze the situation in cases of accidents and decide on which types of medication I will use that will suit the patient best. 5. as a paramedic, it is essential to have a personal list of appropriate drug information resources. These may include textbooks, practice guidelines, journals and online material. In your workbook: List the drug information resources that you have identified and consider appropriate (e.g. Therapeutic Guidelines). Provide an explanation of the reasons for including each resource in your personal list. Identify the possible limitations of each of these drug information resources. I like using the Dalhousie University website because it has very detailed information and the website is itself very easy to navigate to get this information. This website has got a variety of information ranging from journals to articles that I usually find very useful in my research work. I also use the Drugs.com website which I also enjoy searching for information in this website for its simplicity while looking for information. The website also has got very detailed information which is very useful in searching for information. I also use the book titled Drug Information: a guide to current resources by Bonnie Snow. This book gives the up to date information on current drugs being used in the market. Hence, it helps me a lot when treating my patients (Golan, 2008). 6. From Table 5 in reading 3 (De Smet PA. Herbal Remedies. New England Journal of Medicine. 347(25):2046-2056, 2002.), select either St John’s Wort or Hawthorn Leaf and reread the body of the article for that herb, then: List the conditions for which the herb is used. List a summary of recommendations you would give a patient who consults you about the advisability of using this herbal medicine. In the general case as a dietary component In the situation where the patient has a condition for which the herb is advocated (10 marks) I would recommend that the Hawthorn leaf is not supposed to be used as a dietary component. Because it is not safe for usage as there is no evidence that says Hawthorn leaf is supposed to be edible since it has got its own side effects like having a chest pain. In the situation where the patient has a condition for which the herb is advocated Using the Hawthorn leaf on animals has been such a positive indicator for blood flow. However, I would advise that humans should not use this herb since we have very different functionality like animals. 7. Karli is a 22-year-old asthmatic woman (using a preventive DPI and a reliever MDI) who has decided to use CardiprinR in an attempt to prevent travelers’ DVT on an 18-hour plane trip. In your response you should identify all considerations in regard to the potential risks and benefits of Karlis decision to use CardiprinR in this setting. (10 marks) Studies have indicated that there can be aspirin induced asthma. While a person is using aspirin to cure headaches, this remedy can also be very fatal and dangerous. Karli should not take a low dose aspirin to prevent DVT from occurring. In the case of travelling by air, asthma is more prevalent and with Karli’s age she should make sure that she drinks a lot of water, and avoid alcohol. Instead of using aspirin she should use paracetamol to cure her headaches (Shlafer, 2010). List of References Betram G. Katzung, Bertram Katzung, Susan Masters, Anthony Trevor. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology 12/E. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies,Inc., 2011. Carol T. Walsh, Rochelle D. Schwartz-Bloom, Ruth R. Levine. Levines pharmacology: drug actions and reactions. London: Taylor & Francis, 2005. Gary C. Rosenfeld, David S. Loose. Pharmacology. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006. Golan, David E. Principles of pharmacology: the pathophysiologic basis of drug therapy. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008. Joyce LeFever Kee, Evelyn R. Hayes, Linda E. McCuistion. Pharmacology: A Nursing Process Approach. St. Louis: Elsevier Saunders, 2011. Kenakin, Terrence P. A pharmacology primer: theory, applications, and methods. Waltham, Massachusetts: Academic Press, 2009. Miles P. Hacker, William S. Messer, Kenneth A. Bachmann. Pharmacology: Principles and Practice. Waltham, Massachusetts: Academic Press, 2009. Scholar, Eric Michael. Pharmacology: pearls of wisdom. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2001. Shlafer, Marshal. Pharmacology: PreTest Self-Assessment and Review. New York: McGraw-Hill Prof Med/Tech, 2010. Read More